Sasuke and Tenten - Picking up the Pieces
by Tifa-Lockhart-Scarlet
Summary: After the war ends, Tenten returns to Konoha broken hearted over the loss of Neji. She does her best to cope alone, and drowns her sorrow in training, but she realizes she is not alone as she does so... Sasuke is at a crossroads after learning the truth about Itachi. Itachi leaves Sasuke a few final wishes. Sasuke decides to fulfil his brothers desires and falls in love on the way
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! thank you for reading my story. I just feel terrible about poor Neji's death! :(I know they weren't together but I know how Tenten felt about him and l I would want Tenten to move on with someone, and if I had it my way, Sasuke would be the one. Sasuke would want to change his ways once he found out about Itachi :) Even though I know Sasuke probably will never come around, wanting to destroy Konoha and what not... So I'm gonna give you a brief description of what has taken place thus far :) This is MY rendition of things, so please don't flame me if things aren't right, they're the way I want them to be! (Wishful thinking!) Fair warning, Sasuke is a little OOC (Duh haha) And Tenten is a little bit rough and bitter after Neji's death.

**I do not own Naruto! And I never will **

The Fourth Shinobi World War has finally ended. Sasuke and Itachi defeated Kabuto managing not to kill him, but forcing him to break the Impure World Resurrection Jutsu. Madara has been freed and his whereabouts are unknown. The Nations are returning to their homes and villages many grieving and mourning over their losses. Comrades and friends lost in the great war. The young shinobi, now aged with trauma and devastation that cannot be erased now, heading home fort much needed rest and recovery.

Itachi Leaves Sasuke with some advice before he leaves for good. The advice is hard for Sasuke to swallow, but it gets Sasuke thinking and ultimately now, Sasuke is at a crossroads. His team is no more and he is on his own, contemplating the words Itachi left him with. (What is said between the two will be revealed! please read on:) He is struggling on whether or not to go back to Konoha for revenge, or something more. To fulfill Itachi's wishes. When he stumbles across a certain Konoichi, he begins to rethink his Entire life.

Tenten returns from war broken and dismayed. The loss of Neji is taking a bigger toll on her than she lets on. Knowing everyone around her is grieving, she does her best to cope alone and be strong the way Neji would have wanted Her to. She decides to grow stronger than ever and fulfill Neji's dream of becoming an Anbu black ops. While she trains, she feels as though someone is watching her, feeling as though it is Neji's ghost to keep an eye on her, she continues her harsh training until the ghost reveals itself to be none other than a sharingan wielding missing nin.

And so... It begins...

**Chapter one*** _Realization _

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"Will you be alright to walk home, my dear flower of youth?" Gai Sensei asked slightly wearily, as he looked over at his exhausted female student. The night was cool and brisk, the moon was shining full and bright as they stood at the gates of the village hidden in the leaves. Most of the other nin were running about, hugging loved ones they had left behind during war, thankful they made it home alive. others went straight home to sleep and mourn their fallen comrades. Tenten wanted to do the later. She inhaled deeply, as to keep her composure, and choke back tears that so desperately wanted to fall. Finally, clasping her hands together she looked up at Gai sensei and spoke.

"Thank you, Sensei. I'll be fine. Please notify me if you hear word on a date for Neji's funeral." She spoke quietly, and slowly, keeping focus on annunciating every word, the more she focused on little details, the less she focused on the fact that their victory had come at a great and steep price. Gai sensei gave her a knowing nod, and he walked the hysterical Rock Lee home

Tenten fussed with her vest, as she dragged her feet through the busy streets of Konoha. Rather than hearing joyous celebrations, she only heard white noise. Eyes tired, weary and stinging with tears that she quickly blinked away. What a vast and courageous battle they had fought. She was thankful she didn't witness Neji's last moments. She did catch a glimpse of his battered, lifeless boy. Those images stained her mind, she could at least be slightly at ease with the fact his curse was no more, and his inner turmoil had been vanquished. His spirit was at peace, having fulfilled his destiny and saving his own flesh and blood and what could be the future Hokage of Konoha. _why Neji? Why did he have to be the one?_ Tenten wrestled with her emotions knew this was part of life, part of war and part of being a Shinobi. Neji would tell her those very words had he been here, and survived the war.

Finally reaching her apartment, Tenten stumbled through her door and closed the door behind her. Pressing her back against the cool frame, she heaved a heavy sigh followed by a loud cry. The tears finally fell from her big chocolate eyes, streaming down her pale and worn face. Salty liquid graced the corners of her round lips that curved into a sorrowful frown. Her trembling hands reached up and wiped away the streams of pain that flowed down and wouldn't seem to stop. She gasped for air again and again trying to regain composure. She hasn't had time to grieve on the battle field. She was surprised she managed to hold it all inside until now, and the fact that he was gone really set in. Never coming back, never to scold her about focus and strategy, keeping up on her stamina and so on. Sure, Neji could be a bit cold, but no matter the situation, if Tenten needed him, he would be there. Whether it was comforting her after the devastating loss against Temari, catching her as she fell after escaping the "Water Prison" Kisame had trapped the three in. Encouraging her to defeat her clone. "Stronger today than you were yesterday." A slight smile spread across her face as she remembered the good times she had with him. But she couldn't help but feel their time together was brutally cut short by the hands of fate and war.

Tenten kicked off her shoes, tore off her vest and threw it sloppily on the couch. She managed to gather herself once more and walked passed her living room. She stopped at the threshold of her kitchen entrance, contemplating whether or not to eat, drink, or just go to sleep. She heaved a heavy sigh remembering the night before they departed. Neji had come over for dinner and to help her on some finishing touches on a new scroll technique.

_* Flashback *_

"So, Neji, What do you want to do now that you're a Jonnin? I mean, after the War**, **of course?" Tenten asked, as she placed a steaming bowl of Wonton soup in front of her comrade. She watched his white eyes blink a few times as he stared down at his soup, contemplating her question. He finally lifted his gaze and locked eyes with her.

"Tenten," He paused for a moment. "You must realize that our whole team may not make it back, this is a war we're talking about." He watched as her facial expression changed from content to dismay. Her eyebrows narrowed and her arms folded under her chest, raising her breasts and perking them out. Neji smiled faintly and spoke again in order to bring comfort to his teammate. "But, if I do make it back from this, I'd like to join the Anbu Black Ops, and become a Captain. That's my ultimate goal." He spoke. Tenten, now satisfied, sat down across from Neji and sipped a bit of her soup.

"That sounds like a great plan!" Tenten smiled over at Neji. She looked at him with admiration as he ate the soup she prepared for them. She wondered if this may be the last time they really get to be together like this. "H..hey Neji..." She started. "You really think that we may not make it through this war?" She asked with deep concern in her voice. Neji knew that he shouldn't have high hopes for the outcome of the war, he had to focus on reality, but he also didn't want to see Tenten in such disarray.

"To fight for Konoha is a great honor. If we do die, it won't be in vain, it will be for glory, honor and the protection of our village and ultimately our world as we know it. We will be heroes for a great cause, our destiny lies on the battlefield now. Just remember, Tenten, your comrades are always in your heart, no matter what happens to them." He reached across the table and placed his hand atop hers and squeezed it gently, seeing a softened expression grace her face. Tenten smiled over at him and was comforted by his words. She wanted more than anything, to come back home with her entire village unscathed, but she knew that was just wishful thinking.

"Neji, I know you're gonna do great! You're so smart and strong! You'll make it home, I know it!" She said with a sweet tone, and a bright smile spread across her face. Tenten swore she saw a hint of pink surface on his cheeks, but she knew he would be the last to admit that. She looked down at their hands, which were now entwined together and she then looked back up and locked onto his gaze, which was deep and intense.

"I know often times, I've been cold, and I haven't been open or obvious with my emotion," Neji started. He inhaled deeply, followed by a heavy sigh before speaking once more. "But let it be said, Tenten, that you are the woman that I..." He paused, "That I love. And if we do both make it back here, I'd like to make you a Hyuga." He finished, relieved that what he had kept inside for so long had finally been spoken. Tenten's face alighted with joy and she stood quickly letting out a squeal. Normally she would never act like a giddy girly girl, but the love of her life, just proposed to her. Neji stood in response to her standing and the two came into a tight embrace. Tenten nuzzled her face against his neck, his long thick locks tickling her face. She inhaled deeply, taking in his familiar clean scent. She held onto him tightly.

"I would love that more than anything, Neji!" She squeezed him tightly. "I. Love. You."

_* End Flashback *_

She wanted to be anywhere but that kitchen. The very place that sweet, and cherished moment took place. She knew she would never experience what it was to be part of that, or to see her dream of being with Neji for the rest of her life, fulfilled. Overwhelmed with sorrow, she ran down the hall, threw the door to her room open and dove onto her bed. She sobbed hysterically remembering their last night and last moments together. Bitter tears stained her pillow and she cried until she finally lost consciousness.

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Sasuke sat at the edge of the ocean and glared into the angry waters that were beating upon the **s**horeline rocks. The sun was setting, illuminating red and orange hues that streaked across Sasuke's pale and weary face. He had so much going on in his mind. What was true and what was not? _Oh Ni san... Please come back. _Sasuke gasped when he felt a warm liquid sliding from his tear duct down his cheek. He was alone, no more team mates, not that he cared, but all he had now was himself. No longer did he have to fight for vengeance, rather than hatred, his heart was filled with guilt. His own brother's innocent blood on his hands, all for nothing. He could be alive at this very moment. How could he not have seen all the signs Itachi left him? It was so clear now that Itachi had been looking out for him all this time. When they fought, he never killed him, but pushed him to be the best he could no matter what. Why couldn't Sasuke have figured it out? There he was again, Itachi always one step ahead of Sasuke. His only question now was; What do I do? He wondered whether or not to go back to Konoha for his ultimate revenge on them for forcing Itachi to kill the clan and leave as a traitor rather than the true hero he was. He slammed his face into his hands and let out an angry growl. Why would Konoha be so dirty and sneaky to do that to someone? Itachi didn't deserve all that he went through, yet he did it all for Sasuke. Sasuke stood and placed his hands at his sides, clenching his fists. He decided to head toward Konoha as he made his ultimate choice. Whether or not to get revenge for his brother, or to fulfill his brother's last wishes. He didn't know what he needed to do.

He buried his hands deep in his pockets of his new black pants. No longer did he wear a purple rope around his waist. His white shirt, open and adorned with the Uchiha fan. Now he was unsure if he should be proud or ashamed of that symbol. He was damn proud of Itachi. He took on the ultimate mission, to kill his own flesh and blood, and leave his very own village as a hero but known as a criminal and traitor. Itachi wanted for Sasuke to be a hero, to live on giving the Uchiha name some good grace and reputation that had been so spoiled and tarnished. Sasuke walked into the forest slowly. One foot in front of the other. Rather than using chakra enhanced feet to leap from branch to branch at high speed, he walked at a steady pace. So much ran through his mind as he thought back to he and his brother's final moments together.

_* Flashback *_

"Ni San! Don't go! I need you! I need to know what to do!" Sasuke plead as they stood in the safety of the forest after defeating Kabuto. He looked at his "Brother" With deep concern in his black eyes.

"Sasuke," Itachi started as he placed both his hands firmly onto his younger brother's broad shoulders. _My, my how you've grown. _"You've been freed from Orochimaru's curse mark, You are free from Madara's clutches, you are free from your vengeance on me. My hope for you is that you are free from your evil ways. I want you to restore our clan, Sasuke. I want you to live the life of a hero of Konoha."

"But look at what they've done to you!" Sasuke screamed, hinting at the fact that Itachi's body was merely a vessel and for all Sasuke knew, he was just a figment of Sasuke's imagination.

"Sasuke!" Itachi shouted. He bent down and locked eyes with the younger. "That makes no sense! You want to exert revenge on the people who saved the world from an inevitable war full of destruction, most likely ending in the death of all shinobi!? Had the Uchiha's executed their plan, the Nations would not be allies now, and you and I would not be standing here! Realize that there is more to life than hatred, fighting and war. My brother." He paused. Sasuke's eyes widened. "Now that you look around at this destruction, and sorrow, I hope that you too will strive for peace. Go back to Konoha. I have asked them not to harm you, regardless of your status as a missing nin, I want you to return and start over."

"But brother... They'll..." Sasuke started, before Itachi cut in.

"They will not harm you. You tell them you were acting out because Orochimaru threatened you, and once you defeated him, Madara kidnapped you and you had no choice, but you are free now. Here." Itachi dug in his pocket of his cloak and took out a scroll. He opened Sasuke's clenched fist and placed the scroll in his hand. "You give them this. They will welcome you home." He smiled and raised his hand slowly, he poked Sasuke's forehead. His frigid fingers lingered in that spot for a moment. "Good bye, brother." He said with a smile.

"Itachi! Don't go!" Sasuke plead desperately. His black eyes blinked away tears, and when he opened them again, Itachi was gone.

_* End Flashback *_

Sasuke walked a few hours in the direction of Konoha before stopping to rest for the night

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**A/N**

Hey! Thanks for reading! The story will not be as depressing in the next chapters to come, I promise. Please just read on! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

Hey readers! Thanks for taking the time to read this :) Anyhow I have some slightly bad news, remember at the end of last chapter, how I said that the next few chapters may not be as depressing? Well... This one is... But it's gotta be built up! Sasuke and Tenten will meet again soon, and Itachi may or may not appear at times throughout the story :3 I'm open to suggestions, and if you like Itaten, check out my other story Two Tales of Love :) please don't flame me, I know I'm kinda grazing past important details of the war, oh please bare with me! Lol thanks again!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

_**Chapter two * Neji's funeral and a strange presence**_

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A few days after their return, the time finally came for Neji's funeral. Tenten arose early to run a few miles around the training grounds in order to clear her mind and ease her pain before the event. It was still cold and dark and dew graced the grasses as her feet brushed through the blades. She ran faster and harder than she ever had before. Her brown hair was pulled into a single messy bun atop her head, her headband had been left home today and she wore black shorts with a pink half shirt, revealing her toned torso. as she ran, she wondered what to wear to the funeral, whether or not to openly cry in front of the rest of the village who would also be mourning the loss of the Great Genius Neji. Her lungs burned deeply and intensely as she quickened her pace In order to stop her frantic thinking. _You gotta push yourself Tenten! _she tried to cheer herself on, mentally but knowing physically she needed to stop or she was going to run out of stamina fast. How long had it been? The sun was up now, shining bright and full. _I better get back. I gotta shower and change. _tenten thought to herself. She stopped her brisk, aggressive running and took a moment to catch her breath. Suddenly, a warm wind came rushing through the trees, causing leaves to whisper and some even to escape their branches and fall to the ground. The wind blew the fringes around Tenten's face wildly and filled her lungs. Tenten's eyes looked around to see of she could spot anything out of the ordinary. She sensed a faint presence of someone or something lingering in the forest just meters in front of her.

"Alright, Baka! Come out or I'll be coming in there after you!" Tenten warned, clutching a Kunai knife in her right hand, and her other hand reaching for a scroll strapped to her thigh.

Sasuke had been on the outskirts of Konoha for a few hours now, after rising early to continue his journey. He had not looked at the scroll Itachi left him, although he wanted to, he decided to wait. When he saw the brunette Konoihi running, he realized he was a lot closer than he had imagined. Near the training grounds, as a matter of fact. He didn't remember entering through the gates of Konoha, somehow he must've slipped in, unaware. He had been watching her since he spotted her running and training, laying low in the thick foliage he studied her. He remembered her, the Konoichi who normally sported dual buns on either side of her head. _The one with the creepy Sensei_. She seemed to have grown a lot stronger since the chonin exams. _Tenten, that's her name. _He inched closer, as she rounded the track, slowly losing focus and emminating more chakra than he realized. His ebony eyes following her as she moved. Her muscles tensed as she ran, and her body shimmered with sweat as she sprinted with all of her ability. He found himself mezmarised by the creature before him. Sasuke still hadn't decided if he was even going to set foot into Konoha, but now, since obviously the girl had noticed him, he had to think on his feet. _How could I have been so careless as to let her notice me? Must be off my game a bit. _Quickly, Sasuke subdued his chakra and backed away slowly, as to not make any noises by making a hasty get away. He admired her courage and fearlessness, especially since everyone must've been extremely on edge after this war.

Tenten blinked her chocolate eyes a few times and scratched her head in confusion. The presence was gone as fast as it had come. _I swore someone was there!_ She sighed and wondered if it was even a possibility the wind and presence being Neji's spirit, visiting her to comfort her. After all, it was warm and there was something oddly familiar about it. Suddenly, her thoughts were broken by a booming and very familar voice.

"Tenten, my flower, I admire your enthusiasm for training and I had a hunch you might be here, but it is time to go." He looked down, not at all looking forward to watching a beloved student be buried, and his other students weep about it. He knew exactly what Tenten was doing out here. Pushing away the sorrow and pain in training. She was starting to be a workout addict like Lee. Although happy about her training, he knew she needed a better outlet. He wondered if he should put her through some sort of grievance counseling.

Tenten decided she must've been imagining Neji's presence, she knew she missed him a lot, and she was tired and fatigued. She let it go and have Gai Sensei a nod. "I've got to run home first, then I'll meet you and Lee at the Hyuga complex. " Tenten said, wiping her brow with her forearm.

Sasuke wondered why they were headed to the Hyuga complex. _That's right. _he remembered, _she was on a team with Neji Hyuga. _Neji was one of the few nin he still respected in Konoha. Several ideas came to Sasuke's mind as he contemplated the reasoning behind it. Maybe they were getting married, they were on the same team after all. Then again, he was on the same team as Sakura and he only saw her as annoying. Maybe they were having a welcome home party, maybe Neji had became a Jonnin now? Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. _Oh damn._ Neji was dead. Sasuke shook his head and looked down at his feet. He was releived Tenten hadn't found him, but at the same time saddened that Konoha had lost such a great Shinobi. _Someway, I want to pay my respects. _He thought to himself. He made his decison and headed carefully to the Hyuga Complex.

"Don't be late, Tenten." Gai said, before making his way back from the training grounds.

Tenten took one last look toward the trees before turning and running quickly toward her home. _Oh man, oh man, oh man, I'm late! Why did you lose track of time, ne? You baka! You know better! Now hurry! _She scolded herself, feeling guilty for putting her own selfish emotions in front of paying respect to the one she cared so much for. She rushed inside her appartment and closed her door. Once the door was closed, she immediately threw off her clothes in a pile on the floor and yanked her hair tie out, letting her long, chocolate tresses fall to the small of her back. She rushed to her bathroom and pulled her navy blue shower curtain back. She reached in and turned the cool knob, and the water began to fall. She let out a sigh and kicked her legs a few times nervously as she waited for the water to heat up. Finally, she jumpped in and scrubbed her body quickly and rapidly. _Scrub, rinse, shampoo, condition done! _She rapidly twisted the knob, turning the water off, jumpped out of the shower and slipped, nearly falling and cracking her tail bone. Luckily she gripped the edge of the sink and steadied herself. Frantically, Tenten grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her dripping head. Once secured, she ran into her room and threw open the door to her closet. _Oh dammit! I didn't wash my black dress... _She dug further in and found a black pencil skirt, and a black button up blouse with sheer sleeves. _That'll do. _She fumbled about with her undergarmets and finally slipped on her skirt and zipped it up in the back. Once she had her shirt on, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair still a bit wet and curly. _Do I have time to dry it?_ Tenten took a glimpse outside after hearing a 'tink' on her window. _Rain. How fitting, Neji's even crying. _She sighed heavily. _No point in drying it, if it's gonna just get wet anyway. _She turned back to her vanity and reached for a small white rose that Neji had given her. Of course it was silk, that way it would last forever. She tucked it behind her ear, and decided to leave her hair down, since that's how Neji liked it, and this day was about remembering and honoring him. _No one will recognize you, ne? _She shook her head and slipped on some heels. _Oh Neji..._ she balled up a fist and brought it close to her chest, remembering her comrade. _Time to go._

Tenten raced to the Hyuga Complex, making her way through a thick crowd that was also headed the same direction she was, for the same purpouse she was. No one knew of Neji's proposal, not even Lee. None of the other girls in Konoha had any idea. Tenten was sure if they did, they may pity her, but she didn't want pity, or sympathy. Everyone else had their own losses to deal with. "Excuse me." She muttered, pushing further through until finally she reached the threshold of the complex.

"Tenten Chan!" A meek, soft voice exclaimed.

_Hinata... _Tenten raised her eyes to see the purple haired Hyuga walking toward her, with tears in her eyes. Tenten walked toward her as well until they met in an unexpected embrace. "I'm so sorry, Hinata." Tenten managed to whisper as the girl clung to her. As soon as their bodies met, Tenten wanted to cry then and there. Knowing the pain that Hinata must be feeling was unbearable.

"Are you holding up alright, Tenten?" Hinata asked, pulling back just a bit to get a good look at Tenten's face. She could tell, Tenten was having a rough time. Her eyes were red, and her face very pale and flushed. Tenten gave her a nod, knowing if she even tried to speak, she would break. "Come, sit by me." Hinata broke away from the embrace and linked hands with her fellow Konoichi. Tenten was immediately intimidated and nervous. She wanted to be anywhere but up where the rest of the Hyuga family would be sitting. Tenten was merely a Shinobi she didn't have a kekegenki or anything special All she was was a weapons master. No special breed or family 'logo'. Just Tenten the orphan girl.

Hinata walked with Tenten through the complex into a large temple, where the service would take place. It was beautiful inside, with lots of seating. It looked like an expensive mansion. Tenten hadn't been in the complex more than once, and she had never been _here. _There was a crowd gathered around the front of the temple, admiring what Tenten assumed to be photos of the late Neji. She felt more at ease, now that many other villagers had arrived. She spotted Kiba ,Kakashi, Lee, Gai, Shino, Shikamaru and Ino. Now she didn't feel like such a minority, seeing so many sets of white eyes, she started to feel a little uneasy and judged. Naruto approached the two Konoichi with a sorrowful look upon his normaly bright face.

"Hey guys," He started. "So, you still wanna sit together, Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"O..oh." Hinata's cheeks pinked. Tenten could see her struggling so she decided to step in, but much to her surprise, Hinata finished her sentance. "Yes, I'd love that, Naruto-Kun. Tenten will be joining us, if that's alright?"

"Yeah, of course. Woah, Tenten. I didn't recognize you without your big buns." Naruto said, as he scratched the back of his head. Tenten's eyes widened and cheeks pinked. _Did he have to put it THAT way?!_

The crowd finally settled and everyone found their seats, Hinata sat in between Naruto and Tenten, clinging to both of their hands as the service began. Hiashi Hyuga began the service with a prayer and some encouraging words about his late nephew. Neji's casket sat gracefully upon an uprise, draped with a white cloth and red roses atop. Several pictures of Neji as a young boy, and his growing stages all the way up to the most recent photo of him, Lee and Tenten as they celebrated him becoming a Jonnin. The three Shinobi tried their best to hold back tears as Hiashi spoke. His words were elequant and sweet as he spoke of Neji, much to everyone's surprise. He told of how proud he was of Neji, and how he had found his eternal destiny, and how he had been a wonderful team mate to Tenten, and Lee. When Tenten heard her name, her eyes widened and a small tear slid down her cheek. She felt honored to have been a part of such a wonderful Ninja's life.

When the servive ended, the crowd walked outside in the pouring rain and gathered at the Hyuga Burial sight. Tenten was urged by family members and fellow villagers to stand up front. She gazed upon the marble casket in awe. He was in there. His frail and lifeless body was in there, and he was going into the ground forever. _Is there not a jutsu we can do?! Can't we bring him back!? NEJI! _She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her fists at her sides, and then a noble voice spoke in the distance.

"Neji was a great comrade. I can't express how thankful I am for him. He saved my life." Tenten turned her head toward the voice, she saw Naruto standing there, with tears staining his face. "He fought hard, with honor and bravery! He risked his life for me and Hinata, and for Konoha! And no matter what, we won't forget him!" Naruto pounded his chest and the crowd cheered for his small speech. Tenten's lips Neji was regarded as a hero, and that prided her.

After the funeral, most of the villagers left, to go back home. Before leaving they said their goodbyes to the Hyuga family, and the remnants of Team Gai. Now only Tenten, Lee, and Gai remained at his gravesite as they lowered him into the ground. Lee was a blabbering mess, tears falling without ceasing and he gasped for air. Gai also bawled, chocking and struggling to maintain any bit of composure, but failing. Tenten's heart sank as low as the coffin and she fell to her knees. The frigid rain beat down on her skin, leaving goosbumps and raised hairs all about her body. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. She couldn't be brave anymore. She couldn't hold the pain in, even though she knew Neji would try to tell her not to. She could almost hear him saying; _This is part of life, you must move on. _But it just didn't seem fair. The whole war didn't seem fair, but that was the life of a Shinobi and eventually, she knew she absolutely _had _to come to terms with that. She remembered when she found out she was on the same team as the prodigy. She was so nervous and scared, but she was also excited, she had high hopes in becoming strong as she trained with him. It had paid off, she was now one of the strongest Konoichi in Konoha, aside from Lady Tsunade, and Hinata. Tenten knew she needed to cherish the memories of their training, missions, and bonding experiences together. She remembered how she had almost killed him when he was choking to death on spicy curry. She remembered how he hated it when she danced with Lee when they had down time, and he loved it when she sang. He appreciated her culture, asn she appreciated his. Tenten finally raised her eyes and realized she now, was the only one there. Lee and Gai had gone, even the funeral directors and the excavators. Gone. _How long have I been sitting here? _She stood up on numb legs, and wobbled about, to try and catch her balance. Finally, feeling stable, she walked to Neji's gravestone to read what was engraved. She knelt down and examined it.

_Here lies Jonnin Hyuga, Neji.  
A hero of Konoha, who aided in the Fourth Shinobi World War Victory.  
A genius with natural strength and intelligence.  
He finally achieved his destiny._

"Here lies Jonnin Hyuga, Neji, a hero of Konoha, who aided in the Fourth Shinobi World War Victory. A genius with natural strength and intelligence, he finally achieved his destiny." A voice said from behind Tenten. Tenten whipped around, and her brown eyes widened when she saw the face of the figure before her. Sasuke Uchiha.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey Mina! Thank you again for stopping by! :D I really appreciate you reading my story. Thank you for not flaming me. Please enjoy this story, as it continues! This chapter isn't as depressing as the last two. I'm going to try to make it more and more lighthearted, as the two continue the healing process in their lives. I'm sorry this chapter isn't as detailed as I would have hoped. :/ Once again, I'm thrilled you're reading, and I _really _appreciate reviews!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

_**Chapter 3 * **__welcome back Sasuke_

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Tenten stared, wide eyed at the man before her. He carried the same presence that she had felt at the training grounds. _Him _He had been the one watching her in the forest. Sheheld out her Kunai to his chest. She gulped and tried her best to steady her shaking arm. Sasuke Looked her up and down as she pressed the tip into the skin of his chest. Although she was in heels, Sasuke stood taller than her. Sasuke hadn't noticed before, but she had a surprisingly curvaceous body. He noticed her arm shaking, and her round lips trembling from the freezing temperature of the rain. He knew it wouldn't be long before she lost consciousness. He had wanted to come out to pay his respects much earlier, but Tenten just wouldn't leave the site. She had sat there on the ground sobbing for what seemed to be an eternity, and she looked as though she hadn't eaten in days. Sasuke's thoughts were interrupted by her sharp, angry voice.

"What are _ you _doing here?" She yelled, narrowing her eyes into a deep and intense glare, locking eyes with him. She wondered if he was here to mock the death of those who died protecting Konoha, or if he was just here to wreak more havoc on the village. Either way, she wasn't gonna put up with it.

"Tenten, I'm sorry for your loss." Sasuke started, he was about to speak again, but was cut off.

"Save your lies! You get out of Konoha now, or I'll have to kill you!" She shouted. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, her voice cracked as she yelled and she was getting weaker by the minute, but she wouldn't back down, this was Neji's gravesite and she was not about to have a traitor tarnish it!

Sasuke didn't budge. He simply placed his hand atop her arm and lowered it slowly, staring intently into her chocolate eyes. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"How dare you think you can just show up in Konoha, and ruin someone's funeral! Who do you think you are?" She shouted, as she lunged toward him, aiming her Kunai directly at his heart. Sasuke reacted quickly, placing his palms on the side of her arm and deflecting the blade. He was impressed once more at the courage she showed. Had this been any other girl in Konoha, the girl would be throwing herself at him, begging him to take care of her and keep her warm. Tenten, however, didn't care about him, or his charms. She wanted to preserve the integrity of Neji's grave, and of Konoha itself. Sasuke had no idea how to convince to her that he truly wasn't going to harm anyone in Konoha, at least not yet, he hadn't made a final decision. But he knew for certain, he wouldn't hurt her. She didn't deserve it. She looked so broken as she stood before him.

"Tenten, stop. I promise I'm just here to show my respects, that's it, I... AH!" Sasuke ducked quickly as another Kunai whizzed by his head at high speed. _Gees! She just won't stop will she? _He couldn't blame her for her actions, he _was _a traitor. He had a lot of making up to do if anyone from Konoha would ever trust him again. She launched another barrage of weapons his direction. Sasuke swiftly dodged them, using his new improved mangekyo Sharingan from Itachi. He watched her trying to catch her breath, searching her person for more weapons but she appeared to have used her last scroll. Her body was now shaking and she dropped to one knee. The sky was getting darker as night time began to take over the day. Sasuke knelt down to her and placed his hands gently on her shoulder. Tenten looked away, not daring to look into his eyes.

"Get away from.."

"Where do you live?" Sasuke interrupted. The poor girl was shivering violently. Her lips were turning blue and she was desperately trying to catch her breath, still she wanted nothing to do with Sasuke. Part of him admired this. Everyone he knew was always trying so hard to drag him this way, or that way. There wasn't a particular time Sasuke found himself to be unwanted. He kind of liked it, it lured and pulled him in.

"I won't tell y.."

"Then I'll just walk you through the village until I find someone who knows." Sasuke answered quickly. Sasuke slid his arm underneath her legs and placed his other arm around her waist. He lifted her up and began walking away from the Hyuga complex. Tenten tried to break free, but her body was just too weak. As he carried her, her feet dangled lifelessly, her long hair did the same. The frigid rain didn't seem to show any mercy on the two. Tenten felt Neji must've been very upset.

Tenten finally looked up at him. He looked much older, she knew she probably looked much different to him, too. It had been a long time since they had seen each other, even then, they never really knew each other. His face was strong and as handsome as always. A lot more handsome than it had been when he was younger._Why is he doing this? Why is he here? _Tenten growled in protest. "Just put me down, please." Tenten asked. She knew exactly what was coming. Ninjas everywhere would be groping at the chance to take him in to Tsunade if they saw him casually walking down the streets of Konoha, carrying Tenten about as if nothing was wrong and he hadn't ever left. Tenten could hear his heart beating rapidly in his chest, her ear was against hise warm bare skin. For some reason, she felt completely safe while he carried her. She concluded that she was delusional and she needed to stop thinking about everything. Her mind became foggy and her eyes were becoming more and more blurry. She spoke again, fearful Sasuke would be seen and she could face the consequences of being with him, and not defeating him. "P.. Put me down."

"No." He answered coldly. He continued walking at a steady pace, easing his ways into the village. He held onto Tenten tightly, holding her close to his body to keep her from freezing to death. He could hear her breath hitching and slowing in pace. The rise and fall of her chest was becoming less frequent. _Damn. _Sasuke quickened his pace as they began further into the village. Not much had changed about Konoha since he left, it was nice to be back, but what was most important to him now was getting this careless Konoichi into safety. He knew as soon as the people saw him, he was done for. He just hoped people would be hiding out in their homes, taking shelter from the ongoing rain. After all, it was monsoon season. Sasuke was lucky, so far he hadn't seen anyone. He periodically looked down at Tenten, to make sure she was breathing. Each time he saw her, her condition worsened.

"On.. the.. the left.." She managed to spit out. Sasuke stopped to the door she appeared to be gesturing to. He couldn't tell if it was a gesture or a tremor, but he decided to chance it and open the door. The faster he could out of the open, the better. He managed to swing the door open, while still clinging to the shivering girl and close the door behind them.

"Is this it, Tenten?" Sasuke asked, concerned, still holding her in his arms he assumed this had to be it, there were several weapons and scrolls about the entire place. Tenten's eyes grew heavy and she could hold them open no longer. She heard his voice fading away as he spoke but she managed to give a small nod. She was slipping and she knew it. The last thing she wanted was to be unconscious with this criminal. She tried her best to keep her mind awake. Once she gave him the nod, Sasuke rushed down the hall and found the bathroom. He barged in and set Tenten on the toilet and yanked the shower curtain open. His hand reached the knob to turn on the water but he paused when he heard her speak quietly.

"Why?" She whispered. Her eyes closed, and body leaning to the side, moments from falling onto cool, tile floor. Sasuke turned back to the shower and turned the water on. He knew her question was not about the shower, but about why he had taken the time to carry her home, and take care of her. Of course he knew why. Itachi wanted him back in Konoha, fate brought the girl to him, not once but twice, somehow, he knew he just needed to do this. She was hurt and obviously neglecting to take care of herself. Most likely due to sorrow and greif. He turned back around, once the water was warm, knelt down and slipped off her shoes. Tenten pushed on his shoulders weakly, as if to tell him to leave her alone. But Sasuke ignored her. He stood and wrapped his arms around her to lift her into the water.

"We need to get you warmed." Sasuke spoke.

"N..no, I..I'm f-f-fine." She pushed against his chest once more, but he stubbornly lifted the girl and stepped into the water with her in his arms. Gently, Sasuke set her on her feet, keeping his arms around her waist so she wouldn't fall in her weakened state. "Stop it." She said weakly. She wanted him away from her, for him to just leave her alone. Although she knew none of his actions were perverse, she still couldn't seem to understand just why he wanted to help her in the first place. He hadn't been to Konoha in over two years, and now, here he was, in her house, in her shower with her. Tenten shook her head, ashamed she had found herself in this awkward position with a man she barely knew.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke started, he looked away for a moment, feeling slightly guilty for putting her in this situation. But he wanted to help her. Obviously, Sasuke wasn't good at things like this. In fact, Sasuke was terrible at comforting, he was really terrible at having any sort of sympathy. But for some reason, he felt a great deal of sympathy for the girl before him. "I'll leave as soon as I know you're alright." Sasuke felt Tenten's body relax in the warm water. She sighed heavily, and rested her head on his shoulder. Which surprised him greatly. He looked down at her face as she rested on him. Color began to come back to her cheeks as the warm water rushed over them. Her brown hair was sticking to her face and shoulders. Something strange happened inside Sasuke's stomach, like a fluttering of some sort. Maybe it was the fact she had wrapped her arms around him and held him close. This surprised him, his black eyes widened. This was unlike the way she had previously acted. Sasuke wasn't good at comforting, he wasn't even really good at listening and being there.

Tenten, too, was surprised by her actions. She again concluded it was delusion. She knew full well that Neji was probably somewhere in the clouds looking down at her and shaking his head. He would be hysterical if he knew that they were in the shower together. But Tenten reasoned it was not at all sexual or perverse, he was merely making sure she was alright. She had no idea why he was acting this way, but she figured maybe he was there to kill her, and if that was the case she may be okay with it. But for some reason, she knew his efforts were pure in motive, and that eased her a little. She felt his arms easing her down to a sitting position, maybe he had felt as though he did his job. Tenten looked up at him with a curious look upon her face.

"I'll go get you some clothes." Sasuke stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel that was hanging from the door. He rubbed his head and dried himself the best he could before touring her home in order to find her room. Once he found it, he smiled and shook his head. It was as he imagined it would be, immaculate and as elegant as she was. He rummaged through her dresser drawers to find some clean pajamas. He blushed when he realized he was holding a pair of black, lacy panties. He tried his best not to imagine her in them, but it wasn't easy. He grabbed a clean pair of panties and a matching bra, and finally managed to find some fleece pajama bottoms and a baggy shirt. Sasuke returned to her bathroom and lay the garments neatly on the toilet.

"Sasuke." Tenten spoke as she looked out at him. Sasuke knew exactly what was coming, but he was okay with it. He knew she was alright in her own home now, warm and safe. The only thing he hoped for now, was that maybe she eat something before getting some rest. "You can go." She said. Sasuke gave her a nod and turned to exit the bathroom. "Thank you, for what you did." Sasuke simply gave her another nod, and made his way from her home. He stepped outside back into the rain and began walking toward the gates of Konoha. At this point, Sasuke didn't really care who saw him, if he got turned in, or if he made it out of Konoha unseen. His mind was simply on the brown eyed Konoichi he had just taken home. The awkward moment they shared was as close as he had been with anyone.

"I thought I saw you, Uchiha." A stern, loud voice said from behind him.

Sasuke turned around to face the person behind the voice. _Tsunade. _Sasuke shook his head and mearly raise his hands. "Tsunade Samma."

"Weclome back, Sasuke. Come with me."


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! I apologize for the lack of substance in that last chapter! I've been a bit busy and just sort of spat that one out. It didn't help that it got deleted several times :( it was better the first few times lol! anyway, please enjoy! A always I _really _appreciate reviews. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR THE REVIEWS! I'm so happy Mina :3 This chapter has more substance as a present to my reviewers ;) you're all AWESOME!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will **

_**Chapter four* **__assignment: therapy._

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Tenten once again, rose bright and early. She sat up and stretched her aching body. _better eat something this morning, Ne? Gonna work real hard this morning! _Tenten felt refreshed after her nights sleep. Her eyes wandered to the window in which Neji would periodically sneak in and out of. She sighed and tried to remind herself that things were really over now. All she had left was training. First she had to become a Jononin, then onto Anbu. She swung her legs around and let them dangle off her bed for a moment. When she looked at the pajamas, she suddenly remembered about who had brought her home. She had attacked him and threatened him, yet he posed no threat to her. In fact he had taken care of her. Sasuke's face flashed in the forefront of her mind. She had wondered if he made it out of Konoha alright, or if he had been found and compromised. She slid out of bed and slowly walked to the kitchen. The thoughts of Sasuke acted as a numbing sedative to her heart, she wasn't thinking of Neji or that last memory they shared there in her kitchen. She was thinking about making scrambled eggs and a protein sheak before heading out on another run. She wondered what it was like to train with Orrochimaru. Sasuke must've been very strong by now, rumor had it, that he actually killed his older brother and accomplished his life long goal. Now maybe that's why he was in Konoha all of a sudden.

Tenten found it easier to eat this morning than she had is since Neji's passing. She dismissed ever crediting that to the Uchiha, after all he was a traitor and she was determined to forget about the night Before. Surely the funeral had given her closure and she felt a little more at ease today. Whatever it was she would deny the truth if the truth had anything to do with Sasuke Uchiha. Tenten quickly got dressed and headed out to the training grounds. Today she had resolved to train the whole day through.

Sasuke had spent the night in a cold, damp jail Cell. His wrists and ankles were bound and there ease a seal on the cell in order to prevent any chakra from escaping his body. Tsunade had taken the scroll and wanted to review it overnight, in the mean time he would be held captive. Hehadn't slept at all, he was too busy thinking on the words Itachi said, and wondering why on earth the Konoichi he had helped the night before, simply would not leave his thoughts. Thankfully, the lady Hokage had provided him with clean and dry clothes. A black jumpsuit, fitting for the criminal he was.

Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh and pressed his back against the cool, brick wall. He turned his head to look at the guard who was keeping watch on him. It was none other than Shikamaru Narra. The two hadn't spoken a peep since Sasuke was thrown in the cell. Shikamaru looked quite annoyed, he was leaning nonchalantly against a wall with his arms folded a crossed his chest and a cigarette hanging from the left corner of his mouth. Sasuke shook his head and looked back at the emptiness of his cell. He was quite exasperated, but he didn't dare sleep. He still didn't know what his outcome would be. There were only two options For Tsunade. She could either kill Sasuke, or free him and let him become a part of the village once more. It was simple, really. Sasuke was growing tired of waiting for his fate. The sun suddenly shone brightly through the window of his cell, causing him to close his eyes from the intensity.

"Won't be long now, eh Uchiha?" Shikamaru droned at Sasuke, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"I imagine the Hokage will have an answer for me soon." Replied the Uchiha. He was right. As soon as he finished his sentence, the door to the prison entrance opened with a loud squeal. The sound of heels clanking against the cement floors echoed down the hall, growing closer and closer. Finally, the busty blonde Hokage appeared before the two.

"Alright, Uchiha, let's go." She said, giving Shikamaru the signal to release the seal and let Sasuke out. The cell door swung open and Shikamaru released Sasuke from the chains the bound him. "Follow me." Tsunade stated as she turned on her heel and headed toward the exit. Sasuke thanked Shikamaru and headed after Tsunade.

The two arrived at her office, many shinobi gave them odd and confused looks as they passed by. Tsunade closed her office door and gestured for Sasuke to take a seat in the chair that faced her desk. He obliged without speaking and sat.

"So tell me, why did it take you so long to come around you stubborn little brat?!" Tsunade questioned as she rounded her desk and took a seat directly in front of Sasuke. She clasped her hands together and blinked her honey eyes, staring intently at him.

Sasuke noticed the scroll that he had given her the night prior lay open on her desk. Apparently, whatever Itachi had written, worked. "I suppose if I had left prematurely, Orrochimaru would've attacked Konoha in retaliation."

"You know the truth about Itachi now, and your clan, hm?" Tsunade twisted her lips to the side and rested her chin on here hands. Tsunade replayed the letter in her mind as she stared at the boy before Her.

_To whom it may concern,_

_ I assume that the Hokage is reading this letter. I would have it no other way. I also can assume you have been filled in on the truth about the Uchiha massacre. Fair warning, Hokage, I am alive and if my brother is harmed by the likes of you or any of the elders of the leaf, I will not think twice and I will leak this information to the nations you call allies. You will face a fifth Shinobi World War without a doubt. We have has previous agreements regarding Sasuke's safety and well being, I do not intend for those agreements to be broken whatsoever. Word has gotten out to me that Danzo, while you were in a state of comatose, labeled Sasuke as a missing nin. I will not stand for that, and I wish for him to rejoin the village. However, if Sasuke fails to comply with any rules or restrictions you wish to set before him, please do not hesitate to punish him. I am not asking for any special treatment for my younger brother, I simply ask you allow him back into the thriving society of Konoha. My eyes are upon you, and him constantly. Nothing gets by me. If there is any doubt in your mind as to if this is a threat, Tsunade, let it be known that this is indeed a threat to you and Konoha. _

"Yes, I have indeed, learned the truth. Lady Tsunade, I.."

"Do you, or do you not, wish to rejoin Konoha?" Tsunade interjected.

Sasuke gulped and clasped his hands together. He had finally decided he would do it, having plenty of time to think on it the night before. "Yes ma'am, if you'll allow it." He stated, respectfully. Although he'd been away for so long, he still knew better than to ever disrespect or sass Tsunade. He's seen what she had done to Naruto when he got out of line. He assumed he would probably be rejoining that knucklehead and the pink haired stalker. He didn't mind rejoining his Sensei, though. He figured Kakashi would have answers about Itachi.

"Well, according to this letter, Sasuke, I don't have a choice. Let me make this loud an clear, though, you had better not have some sort of twisted motive toward Konoha, or any of the Shinobi here, I do have permission to punish you!" She said, cracking her knuckles. "Now," she continued without giving him a chance to reply to the open threat, "you'll have to prepare for some exams, after all, you're just a Genin." She said with a smirk.

Sasuke's jaw dropped. He expected Chonin at the least, he had passed those exams. But he knew he deserved it, he had been away so long, and Tsunade had to punish him somehow. Now Naruto would be able to rub this in his face. Sasuke frowned but nodded. "Alright, fine."

"Let's see..." Tsunade tapped her index finger to her chin in thought. "We'll have to put you on a team."

"I already have a team, don't I?" This time Sasuke interjected.

"Mm mm." Tsunade shook her blonde head, "you were replaced. However, team Gai is down a man, and I think you'll be a perfect fit." Tsunade looked down for a moment, her heart was heavy, thinking of the fallen Neji. A moment passed and she then looked up at Sasuke, who seemed quite relieved to be on a different team. Aside from team Gai needing a new member, she also knew Sasuke and Naruto would be destructive toward each other and their personal growth.

"Thank you, Tsunade Samma." Sasuke was pleased to hear he was on the same team as the bun haired Konoichi. Yet again, fate was pushing the two together. He knew she may not be as pleased, but at least she could appreciate the training and advice he could offer the team.

"The team is to undergo therapy today, so you may as well stay here while I round up the other members."

"oh, therapy?" Sasuke questioned, sitting up straighter.

"Yes, therapy. Gai sensei requested his students undergo some therapy in order to cope with the loss of their previous teammate. You may or may not have heard, but Neji Hyuga was a casualty of war." Taunade stood and walked to her door.

"Yes, I did hear that. It's a shame." Sasuke looked down. Tsunade didn't reply to his last statement, she merely walked out of her office and closed the door behind her.

Tenten had run two miles and moved on to her tai jutsu training. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, she focused and began punching at the air slowly. Jumping and kicking, turning and squatting. For a moment, she thought she heard her name being called in the distance, but she shrugged it off and continued her motions. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and crack, knocking Tenten off her feet.

"Ah!" She shrieked and scrambled to her feet, looking for the source of the disruption of the earth. Trees, track, straw dummies, Tsunade, trees. "Tsunade!" Tenten blushed and ran toward her mentor, who looked more than annoyed.

"Tenten chan. I need to see you in my office pronto. Head there immediately."

"Sure, Tsunade. What's this about?" Tenten replied nervously. She wondered if Sasuke may have been captured and ratted her out, and now she could be in deep trouble. She gulped and her heart began pounding. The last thing she wanted was to be in trouble with Tsunade. Despite Tenten learning to appreciate being herself, she still had the utmost respect for Tsunade, and she wanted nothing more than to make her proud.

"You'll see, calm down. Sheesh you look like you're about to faint. Go get some food and meet me there" Tsundae again, turned on her heel and ran off to fetch Lee and Gai sensei.

Tenten sighed in relief and headed to the local take out shop. She ordered fried rice, soup, and several spring rolls, feeling starved after training so hard. Once she got her food she grabbed the bag, and paid the cashier. She then made her way to Tsunade's office briskly. She reached the office after greeting Sakura and Ino in the training center and opened the door. She nearly dropped her food when she saw who was seated in the chair in front of Taunade's desk. Maybe she was in trouble after all. He was the last person she really wanted to see at the moment, considering their awkward moment last night.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was happy to see that Tenten had decided to get some food after all. "Hello, Tenten." He said with a nod. Tenten nodded back and made her way to the second chair in front of Tsunade's desk and sat next to him, hesitantly. Sasuke's stomach grumbled when he smelled her food, it had been a while since he had eaten. Tenten noticed and handed him a spring roll. She set her rice on Taunade's desk and set the soup in front of Sasuke.

"Did she catch you?" Tenten asked, noticing his change of clothes, and red marks on his wrists where she assumed shackles were not too long before.

"Thank you," he replied. "Yes, she caught me. But we've come to terms." Sasuke took a bite of the spring roll she handed him. It tasted so good, he was thrilled. He looked his new teammate over. Her hair was in it's usual buns, and she was once again in black shorts and a half shirt, this time her shirt was green. Must've been their team color or something. He smiled a small smile as he watched her eat her rice, her toned stomach growled as loud as his had earlier and he let out a small chuckle. He was happy to see that she seemed to be doing better. He wondered if she knew about the 'Therapy' to come, or the fact that he was Neji's replacement. Sasuke frowned at the thought. He could see Tenten having a fit about both. She was a stubborn, hard headed Konoichi. One who seemed very independent and also very protective over Neji. Here Sasuke was, stepping on her toes again, and this time it wasn't even his idea.

"Terms huh?" Tenten asked, wiping her mouth with a napkin. Her stomach was now happy and full. Her mind clear of any grief or sadness, she found herself wondering why. Sasuke still had that strange and warm presence.

"Yes. I guess that's why you're here too." He replied. Tenten raised an eyebrow at the Uchiha.

_Oh great. _She sighed inwardly wondering what on earth he meant by that last statement. Before more could be said, The door to Tsunade's office swung open, and Gai Sensei, Lee and Tsunade Samma herself walked in. Lee ran to Tenten and greeted her with a hug. He then spotted Sasuke and gave Tenten a confused look.

"what's Sasuke doing here? Did you capture him, Tenten- Chan?!" Lee asked, excitedly.

"No Lee, I didn't capture him." Tenten put her face in her hands, annoyed at Lee's question.

"Nice to see you, Lee." Sasuke tried to be friendly, although this was something quite new to him. He knew that if this was his new team, he'd have to do his best to get on their good sides.

"Alright, alright listen up everyone." Tsunade said, closing her door. "Tenten, Gai, Lee. Meet the new member of your team. Sasuke Uchiha. He's returned to Konoha for good, and he's been assigned to your team." She said, walking in front of her desk, facing the four before her.

"A new team member, already? Lady Tsunade, are you sure Sasuke would be a good fit?" Lee asked, completely baffled that Sasuke was back in Konoha without any real explination as to why on earth they just 'let' him back in like that.

Tenten stood and placed her hands on Tsunade's desk, obviously fuming with anger. "You're already trying to replace Neji!? Who says we want another member, huh?" Her eyebrows lowered and her eyes narrowed into a deep glare at her former Idol. She gasped when she felt a strong hand fall heavy on her shoulder, pushing her back down to her seat.

"Excuse my pupil. This is why I suggested therapy in the first place. Tsunade, we will gladly accept Sasuke as our new member to team Gai. May the power of youth fill you, Uchiha!" Gai sensei spouted as he gave Sasuke a wink and thumbs up. Of course, Gai sensei was still mourning his wonderful student, but he also wanted the best for his team, and he knew that Neji's shoes were big ones to fill, and if anyone would be suited for that job, Sasuke would do a fantastic job. Sasuke and Neji had striking similarities. Personalities were both 'cool, calm and collected.' Deep, nearly monotone voices, and rough childhoods. Both extremely intelligent and strong. They just happened to choose two different paths, but now it seemed as though Sasuke had turned himself around.

"Th-tharapy!? I don't need therapy! I'm perfectly fine! I've never been better! Who says I need theray!?" Tenten growled and crossed her arms against her chest.

"I do!" Tsunade said loudly and sternly. Tenten sank in her seat and pouted a little. What a lousy day this turned out to be. "Now partner up and quit your bitching!"

"Oh! I call Sasuke!" Lee exclaimed. He saw what Gai Sensei saw as far as Sasuke being the only possible person to take Neji's place, and he had always admired the Uchiha. Frankly, Lee was always happy to make new friends, and to see friends progress in the way of life.

"Perfect, that leaves Gai and Tenten." Tsunade said. Sasuke's reaction to Lee picking him was more than laughable. He frowned and tried his very best not to roll his eyes.

_Just as bad as Naruto _Sasuke sighed.

Tsunade had the pairs sit at opposite ends of her office and open up to one another about their feelings. Of course Gai sensei bawled his eyes out as he expressed to Tenten his sorrow and pain of losing Neji, and how it pained him to see Tenten so angry. He explained to her the stages of grief and that she was now in the 'anger' stage. She soon would find herself angry with Neji for leaving her alone, and being selfish to abandon the team. But Tenten aggressively denied. When it was her turn to open up, she struggled. She told Gai sensei she was training as hard as she could so she could fulfill Neji's dream of becoming an Anbu captain. She explained that she loved Neji romantically and was now dealing with the pain of losing her lover. Gai sensei was shocked at the news. He hadn't seen that between the two. Probably due to the fact that Neji was always very serious on missions, and would never let anything, even love, compromise the outcome of the mission. That's why he was so successful in his life. Gai told her what Neji would tell her if he could, speaking as if he were Neji himself.

"You know what Neji would ask you to do right? He'd tell you, Tenten, that this is part of being a Shinobi. My flower, Neji would have you move on. He doesn't want you thinking about him anymore. His life was his, not yours."

Those last six words hit Tenten like a ton of bricks. _Not yours. _"Not.. Mine." She whispered. She shook her head and put her face in her hands. _He's so right. _Tenten had been spending all this time being upset that he was gone, she was being so selfish. She should be just as proud of Neji now, as she had always been. _There's still no one that can replace Neji, but maybe it is time for me to be proud of what Neji sacrificed._

Lee had spent the entire session spilling to Sasuke about how Neji had impacted his life. He wanted to be able to fight Neji and defeat him since the day they met. He expressed his hopes that maybe one day, he could fight with Sasuke, saying it would compare to fighting Neji seeing as how strong they both were. He told Sasuke to go easy on Tenten, as Neji could sometimes be a little cold and discouraging, even if he was only being a realist. Lee told about how he was honored to have Sasuke step into the team, and felt as though it was good timing. Lee felt as though Neji would approve greatly of Sasuke taking his place. Little did Sasuke, or many other people know, Neji often times spoke to Lee of the Uchiha. How he had wished he could see what they Sharingan could do, and how Sasuke would be a very worthy opponent once again. Sasuke felt relieved that Lee had been so accepting, but even more so relieved after he stopped blabbing and crying.

"Alright, time's up. If you feel your team needs to return, please let me know, Gai. Aside from that, focus on training together. Sasuke has been demoted and has to work his way up. So prepare him for exams. I'll notify you on the nearest dates. No missions are available for you at this time. I'd like for you to focus on bonding and getting to know each other before I send you out. Also, Tenten, Lee. Congratulations. You've been promoted to Jonnin. You survived the war, and contributed a great deal of bravery. Especially you, Tenten. You were on the first division, and you should be proud." Tsunade smiled at the bunhead, expressing no hard feelings at her previous outburst.

Tenten's eyes widened. "Ts-Tsunade?!" Tenten smiled a wide smile and lept over the desk and embraced the large breasted Hokage. "Oh thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaimed.

"oof! Tenten, don't suffocate yourself!" Tsunade warned. Tenten released her mentor and bowed.

"Thank you so much Tsunade Samma! You are a wonderful Hokage!" Lee said as tears streamed down his face like a waterfall.

"Yeah, yeah. Get outta my office, I have a lot of stuff to take care of now. Sasuke, the Uchiha complex is yours. If it's too much for you to go back, I can arrange somewhere else."

"No." He said, standing. "I'll stay there."

"Very well. Dismissed."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! I am so trilled you're all reading this! I'm really thankful for the reviews as well. Part of me is deciding if Neji should somehow come back into the picture later on... I'm open for suggestions there too :) also I'm gonna try to add more Sasuke, I know I tend to have more detail when it comes to Tenten.. anyway, hope you enjoy and thank you again!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

_**Chapter five ***__ Sasuke revisits his home/ part of the team_

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Once the "Therapy" was over, Sasuke made his way toward the old, Uchiha complex. It was still fairly early in the day, he guessed it to be noon or so. He coontinued his jourey really had no desire to set foot back in that place that held such a traumatic and horrific memory, but he didn't want to burden Tsunade any more than she already was with him, and he certainly didn't want to come across to his new team as weak or pathetic. He could handle himself. There were lots of things at the complex that could be useful to him. He could probably fit into Itachi's old clothes he'd left behind. He really hoped that no one would spot him as he walked, he also knew that if he ran there it would cause more of a scene. He had offered to walk Tenten home, but she explained she was heading to the training grounds to complete what she was previously working on before Tsunade had found her. He decided once he checked out his old home, he would go and accompany her.

"S...S.. SASUKE KUN! You've come home! Oh I knew you'd come around!" Squealed an overly excited Sakura, as she exited the medical training facility. Immediately, after hearing her voice, Sasuke's shoulders tensed, his dark eyes rolled in annoyance and he found himself clenching his fists. "Tsunade just told me!" She spoke again, this time walking along side him.

"Yeah." He said, not bothering to look at his former comrade, continuing his way to his gloomy destination. _Why won't she just go away? _

"Where ya headed?" Sakura prodded, not noticing the look of complete and utter annoyance that graced Sasuke's face.

"Home." Hands in his pockets and eyes watching his feet take one step at a time, Sasuke did his best not to be rude to her. _Why does she not understand I don't care about her? Girls are so stupid. Girls and Naruto. _Just as he thought that, Naruto came rushing up to the two at full speed screaming at the top of his lungs.

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU'D COME BACK!" Finally catching up to Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto caught his breath, but a large smile spread across his face and he looked at Sasuke, then Sakura, then Sasuke again. "Oh... You're on a.." He giggled and then gained his composure. "You're on a date!" Sakura's face turned bright red and she tried to hide a smile. At the same time she wanted to hit Naruto over the top of the head with a blunt object.

"No we are _not _on a date, Naruto." Sasuke threw his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms across his chest. "Look guys, I may be back in Konoha, but we're not on the same team anymore, so I don't want you following me around all the time."

Naruto ignored every word that just escaped Sasuke's frowning mouth and scooped the two Shinobi into a large bear hug. "Ah man, it's so good to have ya back Sasuke. It'll be just like old times! Except this time, I'm goonna kick your ass! You got a lot of making up to do..."

"Naruto, let go!" Sasuke demanded. Sakura, on the other hand,was happy to be squished next to her life long crush, even if it meant being squished next to Naruto for a few moments. Naruto finally obliged to Sasuke's request and let them go.

"So.. Did you say you're not gonna be on our team?" Sakura inquired, staring intently at her love. She was in disbelief that he was actually home, that he had actually returned. She couldn't be happier.

"No." Sasuke started. He was about to explain to them why when Naruto interjected.

"Oh I bet you're like an Anbu now or something cool like that, huh?" Naruto grinned widely, closing his eyes as he did so. Naruto, too, was overjoyed his companion had returned safely.

Sasuke didn't want to answer that question. He didn't want to have to tell his former teammates just how low on the totem pole he really was. He was ashamed Naruto was ahead of him in that sense, although he knew that physically, Sasuke was still much stronger, to his knowledge. He avoided the question all together, and began walking away. "I've got things to do, I'll see you guys around." He raised his hand and looked over his shoulder at his old comrades. He could tell they were dissatisfied by his shortness with them, and also disappointed at the fact he wasn't as happy to see them as they were to see him. _They should't be surprised. _"See ya, twirps."

Sakura and Naruto weren't sure what to do. Of course, Naruto insisted they go after him in order to catch up on things, But Sakura plead with Naruto to give him time to adjust to being back in Konoha on his own for a while. Naruto reluctantly obliged.

Once Sasuke reached the Complex, he took a deep breath and stopped at the threshold. He just didn't want to go inside. Although Itachi had an honorable reasoning for doing what he did, and Sasuke respected that, Sasuke still held onto the memory of seeing his parents slain by his idol, and dead Uchiha bodies slewn throughout their normaly lively streets. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. _You can do it. Just go inside. _Finally, he mustered the courage to step inside, past the gates that were no longer barricaded. It was eerily quiet, with the exception of a few birds chirping here and there. His feet padded upon the dirt and his eyes studied the old and abandoned buildings. It was a ghost town now, and he had agreed to live there all alone. As he walked, Sasuke imagined what it used to be like. He imagined chasing Itachi through the streets, merchants and neighbors would be yelling, "Be careful, Sasuke! Slow down!" Sasuke swore he could hear the humm of the people, chattering away as they made their way about. Suddenly, without realizing his feet came to a sudden hault. He was there, right in front of his home. His body turned to face the old dusty place

_* Flashback *_

_"No, Nisan! This isn't real!" Sasuke let out a bloodcurdling scream, his hands jolted up to his head and he gripped his raven hair in disbelief. Everyone was dead. Blood was spilled throughout the streets of what used to be their happy town. _

_"I left you alive to measure my strength..."_

* _End flashback *_

Sasuke found himself breathing heavily and holding his eyes tighly shut. He slowly opened them, and stepped onto the pourch of his former abode. "M.. Momma." He said with a shaky voice. "I'm home now." He said, sliding the front door open. Dust particles flew about in the sun like tiny snowflakes with the clank of the door hitting its stopper. He set one foot inside the door and the floor creaked with age. He sighed and put his other foot in as well. Nothing had changed since that night. Momma had left the laundry basket at the end of the stairway, and his father's shoes were still on the mat outside the door. He decided the first place to visit would be his own room, since no real traumatic memory had hidden itself there. Once inside his room, he gave a small, nostalgic smile. He had a few articles about itachi pinned up on his wall, a few toys lay on the floor and his family picture, although blanketed in dust, sat neatly on his nightstand by his tiny bed. He had changed so much since that day. Sasuke remembered what it was like to be filled with joy as a small child. He would play hide and seek with Itachi out in the woods, train with him and pretend to even be him back then. He was so proud of his older brother then. He used to be so happy, but all that joy was taken away and robbed from him on that night. Now, Sasuke knew the truth, and he couldn't blame Itachi for what he did. He hoped somehow that he could find a way to make it up to his brother, all the pain and sickness he endured. _I want you to live the life of a hero of Konoha. _"A hero, huh Ni San?" Sasuke sighed and left his old room.

The next place he visited was Itachi's room. He rummaged around to see if Itachi left behind anything interesting. Sasuke found a few love notes between Itachi and some girl and shook his head. _Tobi did say you had a lover. _Sasuke had never experienced that before. Sakura and Ino had fought over him day in and day out back then, but he was so fuled by revenge that he didn't care. Karin had offered to give herself to him time and time again, but Sasuke really didn't have feelings for her at all. She was simply a tool in his wicked schemes. What was it really like to love someone romantically? Sasuke simply didn't know the feeling. He shrugged and walked to his brother's closet. Yes, much of the clothes that Itachi left behind would fit Sasuke almost perfectly. He grabbed a dark blue shirt from the hanger and shook out the dust. After sneezing several times, Sasuke threw the black jumpsuit off and put his brother's old shirt on. He also managed to find a pair of blue pants that fit well and he slipped those on as well. Sasuke began to walk out of his brother's room when he caught a glimpse of himself in Itachi's mirror. _I look just like you, huh Ni San? _Sasuke shook his head again and walked to the last room in the house he had yet to visit. His parent's room. The last place on earth he wanted to be. His nerves were more calm than they had been since he first set foot into the complex, but when he stood in front of their bedroom door, his entire body shook.

"Dammit! Pull yourself together!" Sasuke scolded himself, gritting his teeth. He took a long, deep breath and slid the door open. His dark eyes blined a few times and then he let out a small sigh. Empty. The entire room was empty. No bed, no pictures, clothes, swords, nothing. Sasuke walked into the room slowly, taking in all the detail, the spiderwebs, dust and bloodstains. He sighed and looked down to the floor where he remembered his lifeless parents laying. Sasuke dropped to his knees and put his face in his hands. He was sad for Itachi this time. Itachi had to put on a brave face in front of Sasuke, he had to lie, after killing everyone he called family, in order to preserve Konoha. He left known as the psycho who killed his entire clan, parents would often times tell their children of the dreaded bloodthirsty Itachi Uchiha, who may come back to Konoha one day and go on another killing spree. Where was the justice for Itachi? Sasuke still hadn't wrapped his head around the entire situation, he still wished his parents hadn't been murdered in front of him, but he knew Itachi had to. Sasuke growled, angrily. "I'll get them back, Ni San! I won't let Konoha mock you!" _You want to exert revenge on the people who saved the world from an inevitable war full of destruction? _"Dammit, Itachi! What would you have me do, huh?!" _I want you to restore our clan, Sasuke... I want you to return and start over. _Sasuke sighed, "Alright, Ni San, someway, I'll find a way to make you proud." Sasuke brought his hands down from his face, and but his right hand over his heart. "I promise." The raven haired Uchiha stood up and walked from his parent's room. As he made his way back through the house, he wondered about the bun haired Konoichi, and if she may still be training. He remembered he wanted to stop by the training grounds to see if she may want some company.

Now that the hardest part of his day was over, Sasuke left his old, memory filled home, and headed out to find his new teammate.

Tenten had just finished target practice and sat underneath a tree to sharpen her dulling weapons. The sound of metal being scraped and bettered, soothed Tenten and always brought a smile to her face. She remembered how Neji would roll his eyes when Tenten had to fix any knick or damage that may have occurred to her favorite cluster of weapons. She was the first to admit, she was a little obsessed with her blades, but like Lee, without a real clan or Legacy, Tenten did what she could to be the best she possibly could.

"I thought I'd find you here." Said a voice as it's speaker walked up to Tenten and stood in front of her.

Tenten raised her eyes, she knew who it was immediately. The presence and the voice gave it away. "Sasuke. How are you?" She asked, not particularly caring for the answer. Tenten sat her Katana and sharpening tools aside and offered for Sasuke to take a seat next to her. Sasuke obliged and sat next to his new comrade, careful not to get too close.

"I'm fine, thanks. I thought maybe you could use a training partner?" He asked as he looked the girl over. She seemed more relaxed than she had earlier in the day, maybe Tsunade's 'therapy' had done her some good.

Tenten gave Sasuke a small smile. "Thanks for the offer, but I actually just finished." She stated. She watched his face form a slight frown and heard a small sigh escape his lips. She noticed he had changed, part of her missed not being able to see his bare chest but she caught herself and immediately scolded herself. "Gai Sensei is having dinner at his house with the team, I was just about to head that way, you wanna walk with me?" She asked as she began to unroll a scroll onto the grass.

Sasuke watched her curiously as she did a few hand signals and all of her tools and weapons returned to their place, and she neatly tucked her scroll in a pouch behind her back."Sure, I'll walk with you." He stood up and extended his hand to Tenten, to help her up as well. Tenten, knowing she could get up just fine without his help, wanted to ignore his gesture, but she knew Sasuke was just as introverted as Neji, and was making a conscious effort to be nice. Tenten grabbed his hand and accepted his help, as he pulled her to her feet.

Sasuke really didn't want to go to Gai Sensei's house. He was leery of the situation he had no idea what to expect. What was his house like, is it just a big gym? Can he cook? Why couldn't they go out for Ramen like normal teams? Sasuke remembered Kakashi sensei, and all the times he had taken care of Sasuke, making sure he was alright. He made a mental note that he needed to visit Kakashi as soon as possible. There would probably be some rivalry between Gai and Kakashi over Sasuke switching teams.

The two walked to Gai sensei's house in silence, both engrossed in their own thoughts. Once they reached his home, Lee burst out of the door with open arms.

"Hello team! I hope you're hungry!" Lee wrapped his arms swiftly around Tenten, squeezing her tightly. "I'm so proud of you! You have trained so hard lately.

"L..ee..." Tenten said in a muffled voice. Her face was squished against his chest as he held her close. Tenten reached her arms up and poked Lee hard in the ribs. With a shriek and giggle, he released her and went to hug Sasuke, but was deterred by a firm palm to his face, pushing him away.

"I don't like hugs." Sasuke said, furrowing his brow.

"No hugs, got it. Neji didn't like hugs either, shouldn't be a problem to remember." Lee turned around and walked inside. "Come on in guys! It's almost ready!"

Tenten walked in first knowing Sasuke may be uncomfortable walking in before her. She knew this must be hard on him too, since he had been gone so long. Sasuke followed Tenten, watching her as she walked gracefully into the home of their sensei.

"Welcome, students. Take your seats." Gai sensei said from the kitchen. Obviously, he was still working on their dinner.

Sasuke examined the home he was now sthanding in. He was right, there was excersize equiptment everywhere, photos of Neji Lee and Tenten graced his walls. The colors of course were green and orange. Green carpet, orange walls. It strained the eyes if you looked too long. He watched Tenten and Lee make their way to the dining room and take their places on the floor. Sasuke wa hesitant. He didn't want them to feel as though he was taking Neji's place, although technically he was. He felt relief when Tenten patted the floor next to her as a gesture for him to sit next to her. Sasuke once again, walked next to the Konoichi and sat by her side.

"Hope you like steamed veggies, and protein bars." Tenten whispered to Sasuke. Sasuke's response was a crinnkled nose. That didn't sound very appetizing.

Gai sensei served the dinner to his team and sat amungst them. "Don't leave food on your plates!" He would scold if he saw any of his pupils neglecting their vegetables. The remainder of theit evening was spent discussing their training hours and strategies as far as getting Sasuke on the same level. They planned to meet every morning at dawn to commence their new training regimen. Gai sensei emphasized that this was not just for Sasuke, but for the edification of the entire team.

"Well, welcome to the team, Sasuke, we are thrilled to have you!" Lee shouted as the team was saying their goodbyes.

"Yes, I agree with Lee here, Sasuke will be a great asset! May the power of youth fill you, young Uchiha!" Gai said, giving Sasuke a thumbs up.

"Thank you, both." Sasuke said with a nod as he stepped outside of Gai's home. He had to admit, this team was very welcoming, especially knowing all that he had done and still they welcomed him. Even Tenten. He knew that this must be extremely difficult on her, he decided that he would make sure that he treated her kindly and nth that he would protect her and her heart from becoming even more broken. He could see it all over her face everytime they met, she was still broken. It would take time and he knew it. As he thought back to Itachi's request for him to rebuild the clan, the only person who ever came to mind was that bun haired girl.

"Welcome to our team, Sasuke." Tenten finally said, giving Sasuke a light pat on the shoulder. "See you bright and early tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

Hey readers, thanks for stopping by. I wanna apologize for that last chapter, I know the last half was a little rushed! Forgive me! :( anyway, at least Sasuke had a little more time in the story. This chapter will be a little sad, but it's also gonna be good! I love reviews!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

**_Chapter 6* awakened_**

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Tenten had come home directly after dinner with the team and had a few glasses of wine. Maybe she had the entire bottle, she couldn't remember. She stumbled from the kitchen and plopped herself on her bed. Sighing heavily, she turned to her side and caught a glimpse of a photo of Neji she had on the night stand. She reached her hand out to grab the frame, but in her drunkenness, she only knocked it over. "Ahhh dammit." She slurred. She groaned and rolled her body out of bed and smacked her head on the corner of her night stand, rendering unconscious. Her face landed on the cool glass of Neji's photo, and body lay limply on the floor. And the dream began.

Tenten was surrounded in white and gold. It appeared to be heaven or something close. She felt warm, and welcomed. Looking ahead, she could see someone running to her in the distance. As they came closer, Tenten realized it was none other than Neji. She gasped and brought a trembling hand to her mouth.

"Neji." She whispered.

"Hey!" He called out to her, as he continued sprinting.

Tenten rushed toward him with her arms wide open, ready for an embrace. He came closer and closer until finally he reached her. Instead of running to her arms, he walked right past her and embraced a slender brunette woman, who appeared to be a Hyuga as well. The woman had two small children at her side, who also harbored the Byakugan eyes. Tenten blinked several times in confusion. _What is this? _Neji turned his head and caught a glimpse of his former teammate. He let go of the woman and turned to face Tenten. His face looked a bit older, his hair a bit longer and his curse mark was no where to be found. He smiled warmly at her and took a step toward her.

"Tenten. What are you doing here?" Neji's firm hands were now on Tenten's shoulders and he found two round chocolate eyes looking up at him, tears threatening to fall at any given moment.

"Who are they?" She whispered in response. Her body tingled at his touch, he was so real.

"Oh, they're my family." Neji started. "That's my wife, Satomi. And our daughter Tsuni, and our son, Tidus."

Tenten shook her head in disbelief. How could Neji have a family? He just died, there was no way he would move on so soon from Tenten. He loved her. "Wh..what?!" Tears fell from her eyes now, and she stepped back from Neji's grasp. "How could you? Why?!" Tenten's heart sank even deeper than it had ever been. The woman he called a wife should be her, instead it was a beautiful Hyuga. Something Tenten could never be, no matter how badly she wished she could. It stung her to the core, and felt like utter betrayal.

"Because you're still down there. This was my destiny. This is my eternal family, Tenten. Did you expect me to hope you died in order to join me?" Neji retorted. He gave her that stern look he normally gave when he reprimanded her. Tenten looked down at her feet. She was in shock.

"Yes I did. I did expect for you to wait for me here." She sobbed, shoulders shaking as she inhaled to catch her breath.

"Tenten, I don't expect to see you here for a long, long time." He put his warm hand to her chest. "Tenten, your heart is still beating." He took his other hand and grabbed hers, he then placed her hand on his chest. "Mine is not. What can happen between us now, Tenten? Death has severed our bond."

"No!" She shouted. "You can't leave me like this! You can't be with her! Stop it! Stop it!" She looked up at him with an angry scowl on her face.

"Tenten!" Neji wrapped his arms around the hysterical Konoichi and pulled her close. He placed his hand behind her head and pushed her face against his warm chest. Tenten heard no beat, she simply stood and cried. "I will always love you. I will be here when you need me, but please, live your life. Move on from us, pursue your own dreams. I'm happy here, and I want you to be happy down there, without me. I'm not coming back, there is no pain here, no sorrow or suffering. I am truly free. I want you to do the same." He paused and kissed Tenten's forehead. "Please." He whispered against her skin.

"You betrayed me!" She screamed into his chest.

"Oh Tenten, I would never. You have to face reality." He said calmly, holding the shaken girl tighter.

"But you said you loved me! This doesn't make sense!" Her trembling fingers gripped the back of Neji's shirt tightly. She inhaled deeply, taking in his familiar scent that she missed so much.

"My family was waiting for me when I arrived. Somehow it was just destiny. You have to find yours now." Neji slowly released his grip on Tenten, easing away from her. "Go on now. Go fulfill your own dreams. I'll be here." He said, poking her chest.

"No! Neji! No! Don't go!" Tenten screamed frantically, groping at the form before her which was slowly disappearing. "Neji.." She whispered. She closed her stinging eyes tightly, wishing more than anything Neji would come back to her. so many things were left unsaid.

"You did well, Neji." Itachi said, as Neji returned to his heavenly abode. Neji and Itachi had met up in the afterlife, and began to hatch a plan. Neji, although he hated to do it, decided to meet Tenten in a dream to urge her to move on, he wanted nothing more than to see her happy. Sasuke just so happened to be his new replacement, and Itachi had his own wishes for Sasuke. Their goals were alike. They both wanted their left behind loved ones to press on, to live again, for love and happiness, for virtue and strength. They decided to come together and try to set the new teammates up. Neji's eyes widened and he gasped as he looked down upon the Konoichi he once called his love. She resolved, though in her sleep, she would meet Neji in the afterlife. She was angry with the words he left her. Her hand clutched a kunai, revealing white knuckles, she held the blade to her wrist.

"Itachi! Tenten's about to do something stupid! Oh no!" His eyes filled with Tears, he hadn't been dead long enough to have access to the human world, like Itachi. Itachi, for his extreme selflessness in life, had been granted unlimited access to the human world as a guardian. He was already on it.

Sasuke tossed and turned that night, something was just unsettling in his gut. He was laying on his tiny bed, his long legs hanging off the edge of it.

"Sasuke!" Itachi shouted, as he shook his little brother's shoulders. Sasuke's eyes snapped open and his hand gripped Itachi's neck out of reflex.

"What?! O..oh." Seeing who was before him, Sasuke released his grip on his brother and smiled. "Ni San." He sighed happily.

"No time for teary reunions, Tenten is in trouble, you must go to her now." Itachi said firmly. Sasuke's smile vanished instantly. He jolted out of bed, throwing the cover to the floor. He grabbed a pair of pants and pulled them up and dashed to his front door. "Thank you, Itachi San." Forgetting his shoes, shirt or any type of weapon, Sasuke rushed as quickly as he could through the dark streets of Konoha. His heart pounded hard and fast in his chest. _Tenten, please be okay. Dammit, what did you get yourself into?! _His pace quickened as his feet grew colder from the chill of night.

Finally he reached her home and turned the knob of her front door. _Damn. Sorry Tenten, I'll fix this later. _Sasuke angled his body to the side and threw it against the door, busting it open. His Sharingan eyes studied the apparent. When he sensed her chakra he rushed down the dark hallway to her room. His ebon eyes widened at the sight before him. Tenten lay slumped over on the floor with her head laying on the upper part of her left arm, and on her wrist, a deep gash that was spilling blood onto her wood floor. Her round face was as pale as a ghost, her eyes were closed and her hair was strewn around her. "Oh shit Tenten!"

Sasuke rushed over to her and picked up her limp body. Immediately he scooped her into his lap as he sat on her bed."Tenten, you gotta talk to me, hey, Tenten!" His voice cracked as he spoke frantically. He examined her frail form, he could see her eyelids flutter slightly, and her chest was slowly rising and falling. Sasuke reached acrossed her body and grabbed a small roll of medical tape laying on her nightstand. He was thankful it happened to be so near. Judging by the pool on the floor, Tenten had lost a good amount of blood. _Shit... Oh Tenten, why?_ Sasuke placed the tape in his mouth, and quickly began closing the wound on her frail arm with chakra enhanced hands. He had no medical training, but he did his best. The wound closed enough to stop the bleeding. Then, while still holding her in his arms, Sasuke bandaged up her wrist the best he could. _  
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Sasuke scooted back on her bed and pressed his back against the wall. He pulled her close, and lay her head on his chest. "Come on Tenten, wake up. Please." He whispered as he gently stroked her hair. Suddenly, Sasuke heard a muffled moan from the Konoichi. His eyes widened and he leaned back to see her face. He watched as her large, chocolate eyes opened and stared directly up at him. After blinking a few times, Tenten gasped and pushed away from him.

"What's going on?! Why are you in my bed?!" immediately after speaking, Tenten felt dizzy, and nauseated. She grabbed her head and started leaning backward.

"Tenten!" Sasuke exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her once more, catching her before she fell to the floor. "What's happened to you?" He whispered. He could tell she was confused by the situation by the perplexed expression that sat atop her face. He could also tell she had been drinking, prior to the self inflicted wound.

"Sasuke?" She asked, as her mind started to clear slowly. Suddenly, Tenten cringed. Her nose crinkled and eyes slammed shut tightly. "Ah.. sss!" She opened her brown eyes and looked over at the source of pain on her wrist and gasped. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I just... I knew something was wrong, so I rushed over here as fast as I could, and I found you this way. _You _tell _me _what happened, Tenten." His eyes studied her face. He was now, just as confused as she was.

Tenten let out a loud sigh. "Sasuke?" She started. "Can I tell you something?" She inquired, looking straight into his deep, dark eyes.

"Yes." He said with a small nod. His grip around her waist loosened as she scooted closer to him.

"Before the war..." She looked down, paused and then looked back up at him. "No, forget that part. Let's just say that.."

"Go on, I'm listening." He gave her a small, knowing smile.

"O-okay. Let's just say that Neji and I were together. And we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. But, as you know, the war had other plans. Neji died protecting Hinata and Naruto, and now, I have nothing left." Her eyes were welling up with tears, but she fought them off. Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, but Tenten continued. "I guess I was dreaming, but, I saw him. He was in heaven, he was glowing like an angel." She looked away for a moment. A small gasp escaped her lips when she felt Sasuke's hand grip onto hers. Immediately, she felt comfort and warmth that she had never experienced before. His kind gesture gave her the courage to continue. "Neji had a family of his own. A wife and two children. He told me destiny had other plans for the two of us, and that somehow I needed to move on, and fulfill my own dreams. I guess I didn't believe him so I decided to go up there and meet him. I was angry with what he said to me, but I really had no control of my body." She examined Sasuke's face. He seemed to understand what she was saying. She knew that he had dealt with more than his fair share of grief and suffering. She also knew that his heart must've broken 100 times worse than she could ever phathuum. As she was explaining her dream to Sasuke, she began to wonder if Neji was right. Somewhere, Deep down inside of her heart of hearts, Tenten knew the answer.

After a few moments of silence, Sasuke finally spoke. "I'm so sorry, Tenten." Part of him wanted to smack her for damaging herself so badly, but he was also thankful that she opened up to him as much as she just had. He imagined she hadn't spoken much of this to anyone, knowing how stubborn she was. Before he knew it, he was speaking again. "I'm here for you now." He placed his hand gently on her face and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. Tenten gazed intently into his eyes. Her heart thumped rapidly when she got lost in those ebony orbs. She was surprised at herself, but she couldn't help but feel comfortable with him. It was inexplicable. She deducted that it must be the alcohol.

_I'm here for you now. Did Sasuke Uchiha just say that to me? _"Th-thank you, Sasuke. Sorry to have dragged you into my mess." Tenten sighed, yanking her deep gaze away from Sasuke, to the fluffy pillows of her bed set.

"Tenten." Sasuke said firmly as he placed his free hand beneath her chin and turned her face to him. Tenten gulped and looked at him nervously. "Don't do that again, please." His face was full of sorrow and concern. His brows were low, his eyes were big and glistening. This troublesome girl was beginning to tug at his heartstrings. He couldn't help but care for her, and Sasuke didn't care for much of anyone. Sasuke's reaction gutted Tenten. She realized how foolish she had been.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. Please don't tell anyone about this. I won't do it again. I promise." Her hand squeezed his tightly. Sasuke yanked his hand away and tore his gaze from hers. Tenten instantly felt like an idiot and tears stung the corners of her eyes, but then she felt his warm arms wrapped around her tight, she could feel his breath on the side of her neck as he held her. Tenten shivered and then relaxed in his embrace. What was this? Tenten couldn't explain the feelings that flooded her when he was near. He was the ultimate comfort, yet she felt as though he was also the ultimate sin. Regardless of that final factor, Tenten was finally thankful for Sasuke being a part of the team. Had it not been for Sasuke, she would have bled out. She reciprocated his embrace and squeezed him tightly. "Thank you, Sasuke." She whispered in his ear. She was finally beginning to feel like herself again. Tenten wasn't normally rude or standoffish, She was usually kind and happy. She did, however, have an angry streak at times. That side of her never seemed to come or go through the entire ordeal.

"Go to sleep." Sasuke whispered back as he slowly eased up on his grip around the girl.

Tenten wanted anything but to sleep. She was fearful of another nightmare, and another unforeseen attempt to take her own life. She was simply petrified, but she didn't want to tell Sasuke. She already felt like a weakling in front of him after spilling all of that unneeded information to him. She didn't have to tell him, Sasuke could see it all over her face.

"You want me to stay?" He asked quietly, narrowing his eyes and leaning in toward her face. The way he asked, and the action that paired the question was enough to make Tenten's heart pound right out of her chest. At that same moment, Tenten realized Sasuke was shirtless. She acknowledged the fact that he had an incredibly toned upper body.

_Holy shit! When did Sasuke get so seductive?! _Tenten, flustered, turned her face away and paused for a moment before giving a definitive answer. She really was unsure. No, she was sure. What she was fighting with was guilt. Complete and utter guilt. She felt angry at herself for the feelings she may or may not have for the Uchiha. She _just _lost Neji. Even if this had nothing to do with feelings, there was still reputations to be upheld. Words spread like wildfire in Konoha thanks to the gossip queens, Ino and Sakura, who would most likely kill her if they knew Sasuke stayed the night at her house. Not to mention, Gai Sensei would probably beat the snot out of Sasuke. But Tenten didn't want to go back to sleep alone. Sasuke could be anyone, and she would feel better. She had decided. "Yes." She whispered.

"Okay, I'll stay." Sasuke replied quietly. He could almost hear her inner battle while she decided. He had resolved to stay, even if she said no, there was no way he was going to let her stay by herself in her condition. But Sasuke figured it was better to have her permission, rather than her scold him and attack him in the morning. His motives were not perverse in the slightest, although he would be the first to admit she looked beautiful as the moonlight illuminated her face through the window. "Lay down, I can sleep on the floor. Right after I clean all that blood up." He shook his head and gave her a playful smile. Tenten put her hand to her mouth and gave a little giggle. Sasuke's ears perked at the sound. It was new for him. He enjoyed her giggle, and resolved to make her do it again sometime. Sasuke gently scooted around Tenten and placed his feet on the cool, wood floor. He was about to stand when he felt her hand grip onto his arm firmly.


	7. Chapter 7

Hi Mina! Thank you for reading. I hope that you've all enjoyed so far. I'm sorry it's taken me a little while to get this next chapter up. I know you've heard it before, but I've been busy! Forgive me! I really appreciate the followers! Please continue to read and review! Also, sorry for any misspellings, I write on my phone and iPad a lot, so sometimes my words get changed or I type too fast and don't realize. I need to slow down *embarrassed!* just so you know, I've rewritten this chapter several times! Please enjoy this one, it took me a while! Admittedly, I did have some writers block. So this chapter is more of a filler/lighthearted one. Warning: Sakura is mean in this chapter.

**Chapter 7 * **_Rivalry! __  
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"I'm telling you the truth!" Ino exclaimed to her perplexed pink haired companion.

"So, You're saying that you saw Sasuke, without a shirt, with Tenten leaving Tenten's apartment early this morning while you were out to get our coffee?! What was he doing at her house so early?!" Sakura pounded her fists on the examination table, sending the fish that their young student, Hanabi, was going to revive flying through the tense air.

"Okay, here's how it went down..." Ino started, as she laid out a scene for Sakura. "I woke up extra early today, got a shower, and got.."

"I don't wanna hear your entire routine, just tell me what you saw!" Sakura exclaimed. Ino seemed to be toying with her a bit, since she wasn't single and she knew Sasuke still made Sakura weak in the knees. Ino hadn't been interested in Sasuke for some time, since she met Sai.

Ino smiled a wide grin and winked a blue eye. "Alright, calm down billboard brow.. Sheesh.." She giggled. "So anyway, After meeting with you to ask you what you wanted, I left the medical facility and as I was passing the apartment complex Tenten lives in and I heard whispering. It was still dark outside, so I hid behind a merchant stand and peaked over it."At this point, Ino was reenacting the entire thing, she was now crouching behind the examination table and peaking Over it, revealing thick black eyelashes and icy eyes. "Sasuke was opening the door for Tenten and she walked out of her apartment smiling at him. They both seemed kind of tired. Like they _stayed up late." _Ino said, raisin her eyebrows up and down. Sakura's face went from annoyed, to sheer and utter anger. "And he was indeed shirtless." She paused. "And shoeless, now that I think about it."

"What's that supposed to mean, you think they..?" Sakura clenched her fists and glowered at her blonde peer, hoping to extract more information with a death glare.

"Sakura," Ino stood, putting her hands on her hips. "You know damn well what that means. He stayed the night." Ino smirked. Part of her was slightly glad to see Sakura so frustrated, but at the same time, she wanted her to be happy. She wanted her to get on with life, and go for Shikamaru, or someone other than the man who would never love her.

"No, Tenten wouldn't do that, would she? I mean, I don't know the details of her relationship with Neji, but I heard she had counseling about his death. I think they were maybe together, Ino." Sakura crossed her arms across her chest.

"I..if I could say something.." Hanabi chimed in. Ino and Sakura both turned their heads to look at the young Hyuga before them. "This is a secret, so don't tell anyone I told you, but my cousin, Neji, he was in love with Tenten."

"Aw!" Ino exclaimed, she clasped her hands together tightly. Immediately she knew that Tenten must be facing a rough time, dealing with his death.

"And he was going to marry her. My daddy had said he would make an exception, and let Tenten in the clan." Hanabi explained.

"_really?"_ Sakura said, menacingly.

"Sakura, what are you planning?" Ino asked, sternly.

"Hanabi, thanks for the info, let's work on training tomorrow, okay? Ino and I have some things we need to take care of today." Sakura ushered the girl out of the room without letting her speak anything more and closed the door once Hanabi was out.

"Well I had no idea about Neji and Tenten, did you, Sakura?" Ino asked as she scratched the top of her blonde head.

Sakura grinned and rubbed her hands together. "No, but now that I do, it's enough to get Sasuke away from her slutty grip!" Sakura was determined to win Sasuke's heart. She was so dedicated to him, she was even willing to kill him rather than see him walk the path of darkness.

"Sakura! Tenten is _not _a slut! How dare you be so mean! At least get your facts straight before you make accusations." Ino scolded, followed by a roll of the eyes.

"Well we're gonna do just that!"

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It was about noon when team Gai finally took a break from their intense training. They had done about three laps around the entire village, target practice, individual sparring sessions with Gai sensei, and time to work on their own personal specialties. For Lee, it was Tai Justu, for Tenten it was target perfection and Ninjutsu, and Sasuke, Genjutsu. The four sat in the lush grasses of the training grounds and began to eat their lunches.

Tenten sat in between Lee and Sasuke as Gai sat across from them. She was thinking of the night before, and how the Uchiha had come to her aid just in time. Although she would aggressively deny it, she enjoyed his company that night. She was terrified to sleep alone, so he was kind enough to lay with her as she slept. She had never slept more peacefully in her life, but if anyone asked, she'd say it was due to the vast amount Of alcohol she had consumed. She had started to realize why Neji said the things he did in that dream. She knew that Neji could most likely see the big picture, and that he, more than anything, wanted the best for her. Although rivaling clans, Neji saw potential in Sasuke. Most likely due to their similarities. She sighed inwardly, so many thoughts went through her mind. She watched Sasuke eat silently next to her. She could tell he was exhausted, she assumed he probably hadn't slept due to worry. Tenten felt bad for dragging him into her crazy world of mixed emotion. She caught herself smiling at his bare chest, as the wind gracefully blew his white shirt more open. Sasuke had insisted they grab some clothes from his place before they began their training.

Sasuke, in turn, was studying Tenten. She seemed as though her emotions were in check and she was doing much better than the night they were reacquainted at Neji's grave. He was completely drained, he hadn't slept a wink the night before, being too concerned for his bun haired companion. It was worth it to him, though. They had lay there together in silence until she fell asleep. He smiled to himself as he remembered the way she slept. Tenten liked to snuggle, she would wrap her arms and legs around him and hold onto him tightly and press her body against bis. He loved how she would sigh and smile in her sleep. Her long hair would tickle his face whenever she wiggles to readjust her position, and she snored softly when she found the deepest part of her slumber. It appeared to him, that Tenten had slept well, and nightmare free. He hadn't mentioned to the rest of the team the incident, or the fact that he stayed the night with her, Tenten had asked him to keep it quiet, and so he would. He reflected on their training sessions earlier, and he found himself impressed with her stamina and most definitely her aim. She hit the targets dead center every time, without falter. Sasuke, although nearly perfect, couldn't even have that consistency.

Gai smiled to himself as he watched Tenten and Lee openly accept Sasuke as their new member. He could tell they were both making sure Sasuke was doing okay, he was easily able to keep up with them, as though he was already conditioned to their rigorous training. Although Gai missed Neji greatly, he was thrilled Sasuke was on the team, and determined to be a great Sensei for him. He could also tell that Tenten seemed more at ease with Sasuke than she had been the day before. Maybe it was die to the fact Gai continually reminded them that this training was to help build up their team spirit, and to edify them each individually.

"Has everyone eaten enough? Shall we continue training, Sensei?!" Lee asked, jumping to his feet, his face determined and strong.

Gai Wiped his hands on his pants and stood. "I think that's a great idea, Lee, but i believe Sasuke needs to be studying for his upcoming exams. I was about to speak with Tsunade about the soonest dates available."

Sakura and Ino had been spying on the group since early morning, when they resolved to find out more information. They were both in henges, disguised as two small cats. Ino insisted they leave as soon as they found out Sasuke was now on team Gai, but Sakura was determined to find the answers she sought.

"Sakura, come on! They're obviously just training. I don't see anything romantic between them." Ino plead. They'd been watching the team train for what felt like an eternity.

"No, Ino! Something is definitely fishy, and why would Sasuke be taking exams anyway?"

"Well duh he probably wants to move up a rank or two."

"Tsunade decides when you become a Jonnin, so obviously he was demoted. He was a Genin when he left Konoha. Don't you pay attention, Ino?"

"Hey look, Kakashi! Two kitties! Aw come here kitties!" Naruto spotted Ino and Sakura and rushed toward them. He was on his way to go do some training with Kakashi Sensei, but just like Naruto normally does, he got distracted.

Ino and Sakura both appeared in front of Naruto with a puff of smoke, before he could attack them. Sakura was fuming and agitated Naruto had interrupted their spy session, although Ino was quite relived. Kakashi walled up slowly, slightly annoyed by Naruto's short attention span.

"It appears we have visitors!" Gai chimed after hearing the voices in the distant foliage.

"They've been watching us for hours now. Sakura and Ino that is. Naruto just walked up, along with Kakashi Sensei." Sasuke said cooly, as he stood.

"Great powers of observation, my new student. Let's invite them over. My rival and closest companion, Kakashi! Come out here!" Gai yelled.

"Well good job, Naruto, you blew our cover!" Sakura whined as the four made their way out to where Gai and his students were located.

Sasuke watched silently as his former sensei approached. He had missed Kakashi a great deal while he was away, although he would not admit it.

"Well I heard you were back in town, Sasuke. You here for good?" Kakashi said, as he placed a firm hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke have him a nod in reply.

"I hope to be. Good to see you, Kakashi Sensei." Sasuke gave him a knowing look, as if to say he was sorry. Kakashi understood and gave a nod, followed by the closing of his uncovered eye as he smiled.

"Looks like I'm not your sensei anymore." Kakashi said with a chuckle as he gestured to Gai.

"Well.." Gai started before Naruto loudly interrupted.

"So you're on bushy brow's team now, eh Sasuke? Well I bet our team can kick your team's asses!" He said with gusto as he pounded his chest.

Normally, Sakura would avoid any type of conflict with teams from Konoha, she had stopped fighting with Ino long ago, but this time, she had something to prove. She wanted to show Sasuke how strong she was, and kick the bun haired girl's ass for staying the night with her man. "Yeah! I bet we could!" She yelled.

"Looks like we have a challenge on our hands, eh Gai?" Kakashi said, scratching his head.

Tenten looked at Sakura in confusion. Sakura wasn't one to have anything personal against Tenten, or team Gai for that matter. She could understand Naruto wanting to fight Sasuke.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, annoyed. He knew eventually Naruto would challenge him. He knew that if they fought, it would be intense and full hearted. He didn't want to fight him now, it would hinder him from training and studying for the exams. Sasuke knew exactly why Sakura had so eagerly agreed with Naruto. He could see the jealousy all over her face.

"I do believe so, my rival! But, I'm afraid Sasuke has some studying to do." Gai said, shaking his head. "How about we have a grand battle of youth some other time?"

"I'll fight!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'll fight with Tenten." She crossed her arms and glowered at Tenten. Ino sighed loudly and shook her head, ashamed of her friend.

"Ah sweet! A chick battle!" Naruto chimed with a wide smile.

"That would be a battle worth watching, I have faith in you, Tenten! Although I do with you luck as well, Sakura Chan." Lee said with a blush. Lee knew exactly who would win the battle, but he still had feelings for the pink haired Konoichi. Tenten, now baffled, lowered her brows and narrowed her eyes. There was no way she would be intimidated.

"Sakura, don't be rash!" Ino plead, placing a hand on Sakura'a shoulder behind her. Sakura, still fired up, pushed Ino's hand off her shoulder and put a scowl on her face.

"Shut up, Ino. Listen, Tenten, you were engaged to Neji, so why did Sasuke stay at your house last night?! You need to explain, because Sasuke Kun deserves to know about you and Neji If you guys are sleeping together!" Sakura burst, she hasn't expected to say all that, but she was angry that Sasuke wasn't even talking to her, yet he could spend the night at some girl he barely knew's place.

Sasuke's eyes widened and then narrowed into a glare. He looked over at Tenten who seemed more than upset. He could tell she was absolutely infuriated and he could see a tinge of pain in her face.

"Who told you that?! Huh?!" Tenten screamed angrily at Sakura. She had a Kunai tightly clenched in her right hand.

"Hanabi, and Ino saw you and Sasuke sneaking around this morning." Sakura retorted, pleased that she had struck a chord with Tenten.

Tenten inhaled deeply, trying to calm herself, but it wasn't working. The pink haired girl had come out if no where and ruined her first decent day since Neji's passing. Gai sensei gave Kakashi a nod and Kakashi began to usher Sakura away, but she pushed past his grip and ran toward Tenten with a Kunai of her own in her hand.

Tenten braced herself for battle and took a stance. If Sakura wanted to fight over who knows what, then so be it. Tenten was angry that Sakura would be so disrespectful toward her, when Tenten was completely innocent. She was also angry she had no respect for Neji or the team who was still dealing with his loss. Tenten reached for her scroll, but her eyes widened when Sasuke stepped in front of Tenten and spread his arms out. Sakura skidded to a stop and looked Sasuke dead in the eye. She had never seen Sasuke look more frightening in her life. He lopked angry and determined as he glowered down at her. His eyes red and narrow, capturing Sakura in an intense, aggressive glare. Sasuke was not about to let Sakura near Tenten. Sasuke didn't care if Tenten was engaged to Neji, it was her life and he knew that. He knew that he had his own past that Tenten never seemed to blame him for. It was time Sasuke put Sakura in her place, and let her know it would never work between them.

"Sakura!" He yelled. "How could you be so immature? Tenten hasn't done anything wrong." He quieted his voice as he said Tenten's name. Something about her, that troubled Konoichi, sparked something intense and passion inside of him. "Yorest ill think that some day I'm going to admit that I love you? That's never going to happen. How dare you come here and make such accusations About Tenten, and you don't even know her!"

Tears welled up in Sakura's eyes and she looked down sorrowfully. She knew Sasuke was right in the fact that she was immature, but her hopes and dreams had just been dashed right before her very eyes. Immediately she turned and ran off, Ino quickly followed.

Naruto and Lee both stood in awe of what just happened. Both knowing how Sasuke was normally not that protective of anyone. He had said some harsh, strong words while defending Tenten.

"I've never seen Sakura act so mean, I'm so sorry, Tenten Chan." Kakashi apologized on behalf of his unruly student. Kakashi then have Gai and the team a nod and ran after Sakura to reprimand her.

Tenten's heart was still pounding him her chest from the words that Sasuke had spoken. How could she have forgotten, Sakura was completely in love with Sasuke since she first laid eyes on him. Tenten would've tried to assure Sakura that they were only friends and teammates, but apparently Sasuke had some things of his own to voice to her. for the first time in her life, Tenten was actually glad someone stepped in and defended her, and spoke up for her. Tenten would normally retort and get just as nasty if she needed to, but she didn't have to.

"Hey, Tenten.. I'm sorry too. Sakura just really missed Sasuke I guess." Naruto started as he saw Tenten emerge from behind Sasuke. "Sasuke..." He paused for a moment and gave him a knowing smile. "Glad you finally told Sakura to back off. Oh, and I'm still gonna kick your ass! Haha, believe it!"

"Once Sasuke's done with his exams, we shall have a team V.S team challenge!" Gai shouted, as he placed his hand down and out.

"Yes! Absolutely!" Lee exclaimed, putting his hand atop of Gai's.

"Sasuke, now you gotta do all that goofy shit! Haha!" Naruto laughed as he watched Tenten reluctantly place her hand atop Lee's after a loud grunt from Gai.

Sasuke, despite Naruto's mockery, placed his hand atop Tenten's proudly. Although he would openly admit that his team had the weirdest sense of style, they were closer knit than any other team he had ever seen. Just in The few hours of training with them, Sasuke realized they were more then a team, but they were a family. Gai took the time to grow them in strength and spirit. They would never let a member down, always looking out for each other, and trying to find ways to help improve as a whole. It moved Sasuke, and he had decided that he would protect the entire team, Goofy as they were, with his life. He was starting to understand what Itachi meant. Though it hurt him deeply to see Itachi go, he knew Itachi was looking out for him. He knew Neji was looking out for Tenten.

Naruto looked at the team before him. He shook his blonde head and smiled. _I gotta get our team to do that. _"Well, I guess since we aren't on the same team, we'll be kinda like rivals huh? Anyway, guys, see you around! Good luck with exams, Sasuke." Naruto gave them a wide smile and ran after his companions.

Lee immediately want to Tenten and hugged her. "I'm sorry, Tenten. I didn't know. Are you alright?"

Tenten sighed and hugged Lee back. She knew she was alright, thanks to those around her now. But that didn't mean there were still broken pieces of her heart scattered around her. "Thanks Lee, I'm okay, really." Tenten assured as she hugged hi back. The two held on for a moment and then broke apart. Tenten then turned to Sasuke. "Thank you, for everything." She gave him a small smile. Sasuke could tell there was more that she wanted to say, but he didn't push. He simply gave her a nod, and a knowing smile of his own.

"Tenten, maybe you can help Sasuke study and prepare for the exams that will test his youthfulness!" Gai said with a wink.

"Tenten is a great study partner, Sasuke." Lee prided With a smile. Lee was still a little in shock after hearing about Neji and Tenten. He wondered why he never knew about any of it. Sure, he knew they were both crazy about each other, but he didn't know they had actually been together. He figured that must've been a request from Neji, seeing as how Tenten had no lineage of her own, an how Neji was very tactful and serious about being a Shinobi, he would never want anything to come in the way of that. He figured Tenten had her reasons for not telling him, so he decided to let it go.

Gai, nor Lee, bothered to question Sasuke and Tenten about the accusations of the two sneaking around together. Tenten assumed it was because they trusted Tenten one hundred percent. Tenten offered to help Sasuke study back at the Uchiha complex in order to ready him for the exams. Sasuke was more than happy to accept her offer.


	8. Chapter 8

All I can say right now is wow! Thank you all so much, I'm thrilled about all the reviews! Wooh! I have some PM's I promise to get to soon, please be patient with me. I'm just so thankful for all of you taking the time to read this, it means a lot to me! I'm surprised on how many of you enjoyed that Last chapter, I hope you enjoy this one just as much :) again, forgive me for my misspellings, I'm really not illiterate. Thank you all!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

_**Chapter 8 * **The Chonin exams part 1_

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It had been two weeks since Sasuke's first day as a member of team Gai. He had started to feel comfortable with the entire crew. He was now accustomed to Gai's booming voice and over exaggerated passion for youth. He was used to Lee's inflections and sheer determination to be the best he could without ninjutsu. He was now quite accustomed to Tenten's mannerisms. He knew she liked to openly express her annoyance to Lee when he was out of line. She tucked the fringes of hair that fell in her face behind her ears when she was flustered. And she also had the sweetest most wonderful giggle he had ever heard. So many little things she did, spoke volumes to him. Every morning before training, Sasuke would walk to Tentn's house and pick her up. As they walked to the training grounds, they would make small and friendly conversation. Tenten was slowly opening up to him little by little each day, and after training, she would accompany him at his home to help study. Tonight was their last night to study before the exams.

Tenten had been doing much better since the day she first returned to Konoha. She knew most likely, it was due to Sasuke and his companionship, but she was still a bit too stubborn to openly admit it. Despite his past as a criminal, Sasuke really made a great friend and team member. He listened to her when she had something to say, and never had anything negative to say about her opinions. Sasuke had kind and simple words of wisdom to offer her when she felt low. She admired his quiet confidence, and his will to rejoin Konoha, even after all that had happened. Sasuke had finally told her the truth about Itachi, although he knew that it was a very deep and dark secret of Konoha. Tenten deeply sympathized with Sasuke after hearing of his hardships. He expressed to her the pain and guilt that he felt after murdering his beloved brother. Sasuke told her how Itachi had been there to help him defeat Kabuto, and that Itachi was the only reason Sasuke was permitted into the leaf without question. Sasuke had told her that Itachi wanted for him to rebuild the Uchiha clan, and to establish a better reputation for them. Tenten found it rather coincidental that they had both hoped for family. She knew that family was something precious, and her entire life she longed to know who her parents were. Neji was the closest thing to family she had and he was ripped away from her, much like Sasuke's family was ripped away from him. They found understanding and comfort in one another. She felt as though they may be healing each other slowly as they spent more time together.

"Exams are tomorrow, you think you're ready, Sasuke?" Tenten asked walking up behind him as he sat on the porch of their back yard, staring at the sunset. Sasuke turned his head to look behind his shoulder, catching a glimmer of his study partner. A small smirk spread across his face as he patted the place next to him as a gesture for her to accompany him. Tenten had run inside to grab some water, leaving Sasuke outside for a moment. During his time alone, he couldn't keep his mind focused on anything, only her. Once he motioned for he, his gaze returned to the sky.

Tenten obliged and sat comfortably next to Sasuke, close enough for their legs to be touching. She tilted her head to study his expression. It was a face she had never seen him make. He was staring off in the distance, his brows were lowered and his teeth were biting at his bottom lip. The orange and red hues of the sun were glimmering and reflecting Brightly in his ebony hair and eyes. His elbows were propped on his knees and his hands were clasped tightly together as he stared. Tenten ran her fingers trough her long brown hair nervously as they sat in silence. Finally she spoke again.

"Are you alright?" She asked concerned. "If you want, we can wait until next week to do the exams." She assured him quietly.

"No, I'm ready. I just had a lot on my mind tonight, sorry Tenten." He replied, turning his gaze from the sky to her face.

"Oh, that's okay." She replied with a smile as she closed her eyes. "If you need me to go, I can..." Her chocolate eyes snapped open when she felt his warm hand grab a hold of hers. She was unsure of what the gesture meant to him, but it made her heart beat rapidly and she couldn't explain why. Progressively through their time together, Tenten had become more and more attached to Sasuke. Drawn to him, if you will, but she denied it over and over again. She still felt guilty even though Neji had plead with her to move on in a second dream.

"I don't want you to leave." He whispered. Sasuke could hardly stand it. The way the girl made him feel was unbearable. He was unfocused, tired and worried about her. Constantly thinking of her, examining and studying her. Falling for her and he didn't have a choice. She was different than all the other Konoichi he had ever met. She was strong, independent, had a temper, fought hard and she could keep up. She didn't care if Sasuke was quiet and detached, and she didn't care that he was once a traitor. She let him into her crazy life when no one else could break down her barriers. Maybe it was because he and Neji were similar. Maybe it was because it was planned out that way, and maybe, just maybe, she felt the same way too. The girl made him crazy, every time she walked away, walked by, stood near, Sasuke couldn't help but notice every detail about her. He couldn't stop the rapid pounding in his chest, the passion in his soul for the girl. He just didn't want to scare her away. This was atypical of Sasuke. Never in his life had he had a crush, not once. Never had he ever had feelings like this for a team mate. Now all of a sudden, the troubled Konoichi he took home one night was holding a large chunk of his dark little heart and was turning it into mush.

Tenten was fighting with herself. Ever since Sasuke joined the team, they'd been inseparable. She didn't feel the sinking pain of losing Neji when she was with him, and she didn't feel the stress of desperately needing to impress Sasuke like she had with Neji. She was just her. Raw, angry, silly, sad and broken Tenten. The funny thing about the situation was that Tenten was growing even stronger as she trained with Sasuke, even Lee had too. Sasuke brought out the best in the whole team without even trying. Everything about Sasuke was mysterious and appealing. Although he had opened up to her, she still felt a thrill whenever he was around. She enjoyed being with him, studying with him and spending time at his home. Tenten let out a small gasp as she was broken from her thought by Sasuke's gentle touch on her cheek. He slowly brushed a long brown strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, still clinging to her hand in his other hand.

Sasuke decided to be sensitive to the fact that the girl was still grieving, so he changed the subject after her lack of response. "Will you be there tomorrow?" He asked.

"Oh, of course I will! I wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled warmly and squeezed his hand. at this point the sun was almost completely set and Sasuke knew he needed rest before his big day tomorrow.

"Well." He said, releasing his grip from her hand and standing, let's get you home Tenten." He gave a small smirk followed by a dark laugh. Tenten looked at him perplexed and squeaked when Sasuke swiftly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Sasuke!" Tenten exclaimed as she bobbed up and down with each step he took, her brown hair falling in her face and dangling down the side of his back. "I've got legs you know!" Tenten heaved a sigh. "Come on!"!

"Mm mm." He said with a smirk.

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Sasuke woke up early to ready himself for the upcoming day. He took a long deep breath and crawled out of bed slowly. He was not nervous, afraid or worried. Sasuke was confident in himself, he had taken the exams before, he could do it exams would be a bit different this time. He only had to take the written, and the one on one battle. His only wish was that he didn't fight any younger nin, Naruto, or Tenten. If he fought a younger ninja he ran the risk of seriously harming them on the process, because there was no way he would be holding back. If Naruto were to be his opponent, Sasuke knew that it wouldn't be just a battle. It would be a fight to the death most likely. He had hoped Tsunade would be wise enough to realize. And if he fought Tenten, he knew she would probably be demoted if she lost, and he just wasn't sure he had the heart to do that to her.

Once Sasuke was showered and dressed, he grabbed his sword and strapped it to his back. He then strapped on his shoes and walked out of the complex but stopped at the threshold and rolled his eyes at the sight before him.

"What do you want, Sakura?" He asked, more than annoyed at the pink haired Konoichi.

"Thought I'd wish you luck for today and walk with you to the academy, today's the big day huh? Everyone's talking about it! Hey wait up!" Sakura said, running to catch up with Sasuke, who had obviously not cared about the answer.

"Great, well I can walk on my own. Besides, I'm not headed there right now." He said calmly, still a tinge of annoyance in his voice. What would it take for her to leave him alone?

"Well where ya headed? Exams are this morning aren't they? You don't wanna be late, do you?" She inquired, picking up her pace to keep up with him.

"I'm going to pick up Tenten first, why does it matter to you, Sakura?" He asked, glancing angrily over in her direction. He was beginning to lose his patience.

"Oh.. Well, I just..." She looked down sadly and her feet came to a halt.

"Yeah, okay, see ya." He said, waving over his shoulder at the sullen girl.

_I'm gonna go to those exams and kick that stupid bun head's ass! Can't keep her filthy hands off my Sasuke! I'll show her! _Sakura plotted as she ran toward the academy.

Sasuke sighed, relieved to see her go. He continued on to Tenten's house, slightly anxious to see her. He dug his hands in his pockets as he walked, trying to keep focus on the exams and not his companion, but it was difficult. Once he arrived at her home, He raised his hand to knock on the door but before he made contact, the door opened. He was greeted by a smiling, brunette Konoichi who just happened to be breathtaking. She was wearing black pants and a black tank top with mesh that stopped at the crease of her breasts, much like Anko, with a white over shirt that looked a lot like his, no, it _was _his. Her hair was braided in two, one on either side of her head, just like her buns usually were. And to finish it off, her forehead protector right where it usually was. Sasuke was speechless, all he could do was stare at the girl before him. He wondered where on earth she got his shirt, more than that, how she got it. It prided him to know that the Uchiha symbol was resting gracefully on her back.

"You ready for the big day?" She asked, crossing her arms and giving him a knowing smirk. The look on his face was priceless, although subtle, she could tell he was a little flustered by her clothing choice. Sasuke looked good as well, he had a black, open long sleeved shirt, and light gray pants. His hands were covered from the knuckle back to his wrist in fingerless gloves. His hair as raven and edgy as ever, hanging around his face and spiking in the back.

"well, I'm glad you asked permission to steal my shirt." he retorted, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway close to her face.

"Eh, I'm borrowing it. Stealing is a whole different story. Besides, I'm cheering you on. Don't think too much of it, alright?" She giggled. "Let's go! You're gonna be late!"

"Yeah yeah, let's go." He gave a light chuckle of his own and the two headed to the academy.

Once they arrived, Lee and Gai greeted the two at the entrance with smiles and thumbs up. Sasuke gave them his thanks and expressed his gratitude for their support. After the crew had wished him the best of luck, He quickly had to sign in and rush to the room in which the written exams were taking place, due to his lateness.

Once in the room, the younger shinobi stared at him with wide eyes. Sasuke ignored them and took his paper and found a seat in the back alone. Quiet whispers and murmurs filled the room as the fellow students turned to stare at him. To them he was a legend. Sasuke shook his head and thought to himself; _this must be how Itachi felt. I suppose if he had walked into my class when I was their age, people would be making quite a fuss. _He gave them all a scowl, causing them to gasp and return their focus to the test. Sasuke sighed, relived that they were no longer scrutinizing him. _Alright, focus here Sasuke... Hmm these are simple. _he began to breeze through the questions, but became destructed by the sound of shuffling and desks screeching against the tile floor. When Sasuke raised his eyes, he noticed not one student remained. It was now him, and the proctor.

Tenten walked around the academy with Lee, talking and spending time together. He was hoping the best for Sasuke, although she knew he would do just fine. During their study sessions, he never had any trouble remembering anything, and always seemed to have something to teach her. She couldn't help but feel a bit nervous for him.

"Hey!" an angry, high pitched voice rang out behind them, breaking Tenten from her thoughts of Sasuke and hopes of his success. Lee and Tenten turned around to face the person behind the agitated voice.

"Sakura Chan, what brings you here?" Lee asked, pleased to see his crush.

"Here to support Sasuke, why else? Why the hell are you wearing his shirt?" Sakura growled.

"Sasuke's our team member, we're supporting him too. I don't think you need to get so worked up, Sakura. It's just a shirt." Tenten rolled her eyes and turned around, not interested in any girl fight that Sakura may have in mind. Today was about Sasuke and nothing else. She began to walk away when the words that came from Sakura's mouth brought her to a sudden stop.

"I don't even know what Neji saw in you! If I had the chance I would've shown him what a real woman was like."

Tenten had had enough. She whipped around and walked up to Sakura, inches from her face, she spoke. "Sakura, Neji would never give you the time of day. In fact, I'm not even sure he knew your name. Here's why I think that: You are way too emotionally attached when it comes to missions, you're loud, obnoxious and selfish. And Sakura, you're weak. And you wonder why Sasuke doesn't pay attention to you either? Now you know." Tenten glared her chocolate eyes, locking Sakura in a death stare.

Sakura gave Tenten a death glare of her own. "You keep your grubby hands off of my Sasuke Kun! We will end up together, Tenten, and when that happens I'll be here to rub it in that ugly face of yours."

"Stop acting like you can just lift your leg and mark Sasuke as your own. He doesn't belong to anyone, and this isn't preschool Sakura. You can't just claim someone. Especially someone who will never love you back!" Tenten yelled, clenching her fists so tightly her knuckles whitened.

Lee stood and watched wide eyed as the girls spat insults back and forth. Before he could interject, Tsunade's loud, booming voice came from down the hall.

"You mean to tell me that _all _other participants have forfeited? Why?!" She questioned angrily as she turned to a frantic Shizune.

"Well, they were all too frightened to battle Sasuke, so one by one they dropped out. My lady, what do we do?" She asked as they approached the area where Sakura and Tenten stood. Tenten backed away from Sakura and moved out of the way for the two Konoichi to pass by. Tsunade gave Tenten a small smirk as they passed by.

"Well I'be got a few ideas. We'll just have to find a Jonnin willing to fight the Uchiha." she replied. The two headed to a meeting area to discuss what action needed to be taken. Once seated around several Jonnin and elders, Tsunade asked who may be willing to battle it out with Sasuke, seeing as how the second stage of the exams would be over looked. No one seemed to want to volunteer.

"Well who would be strong enough to at least make it difficult for him? We all know how strong he is." she urged, hoping someone would come forward. When no one spoke, agitated, Tsunade pounded her fists on the table, causing everyone in the room to jump. "Kakashi, you up for it?" She asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Sasuke has far surpassed me, Lady Tsunade. Naruto would be an even match." Kakashi suggested.

"No, I don't want to lose my two best shinobi. What about you and someone else? How about you and Sakura?" Tsunade inquired.

"No, Sakura is way too emotionally attached to Sasuke, that won't work. Can you think of anyone else?" Kakashi asked, placing his hands under his chin.

"Tenten." Gai said, standing up next to Kakashi. "They've been training together, and Tenten and Kakashi would be a great match for Sasuke."

"It's settled then, I think that's a great plan." Tsunade smirked and stood. "I'll notify her."

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"I didn't bring any weapons, I'm not prepared Lady Tsunade!" Tenten protested. Tsunade had pulled her to the side and expressed her confidence in Tenten and her abilities. Tenten didn't mind fighting Sasuke at all, but the fact of the matter was, she had nothing to fight with.

"Kakashi is in the store room preparing. There are several weapon selections and scrolls you can create there. You'll have thirty minutes to prepare." Tsunade placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

"Can I keep the weapons?" Tenten asked, raising an eyebrow and making a mischievous face.

"Oh alright fine! Just hurry up and do your best!" Tsunade scolded.

Tenten smiled warmly at her mentor and ran to the store room to prepare. Once in the room her jaw dropped and she squealed with excitement. The room was filled with an assortment of weapons, large and small. There were also shelves of explosive tags, enough to make Tenten drool.

"Tenten, I know I'm attractive, but please stop drooling, I'm much too old for you dear." Kakashi said with a chuckle as he crossed his arms, examining the girl.

"Are you serious! Kakashi Sensei! I don't even know what you look like!" She crossed her arms as well and leaned on one hip. "I'm talking about all of these weapons! Look at this Place!" She said, as a wide smile spread across her face. Suddenly, Tenten gasped and felt as though she couldn't move, her eyes shifted to Kakashi, who was not Kakashi at all. The man who stood before her was none other than Itachi Uchiha. Her heart pounded so fast in her chest she felt as though it was about to burst. He approached her slowly and reached around her waist, grabbing hold of the doorknob and closing the door behind her.

"Tenten." He spoke darkly.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought you were dead." She asked, her voice shaky and cracking a bit. She looked away from his deep gaze, terrified of what his intentions may be. Just being in his presence filled her with fear.

"That shirt.." He started.

"Oh.. Oh no, I'm sorry I didn't mean to dishonor your clan!" She shouted, as she fumbled about trying to rip the shirt off her terrified body.

Itachi put both hands firmly on her shoulder and stopped her. "I like it on you. It looks good." He smirked and turned her chin to face him. Now his eyes were locked with hers. "Tenten, you've changed Sasuke. Please don't hurt him."

"But we're fighting in the exams against each other..."

Itachi chuckled, closed his eyes and smiled. "No, kick his ass. I meant to say, don't break his heart, Tenten." He opened his eyes and examined her face. She seemed slightly enlightened, but also a bit perplexed. She wondered why he was telling her this. "Neji also gave me this," he said, handing her a small, folded paper note. "Do your best, chibi chan." He said, placing his index and middle fingers to her forehead Before disappearing.

Tenten blinked rapidly several times, trying to wrap her head around the event that jut took place. _Did he call me chibi chan? _Tenten shook her head and looked down at her open palm that held the note. Quickly, she opened it up and read.

_ Tenten, I'm so thrilled you've grown closer with Uchiha, Sasuke. Please know more than anything, I wish for you to be happy. You have done so well lately. You're a Jonnin! I wish I were there to congratulate you in person, but this note will have to suffice. You've grown so strong, an it pleases me to see. Look out for Hinata for me. Continue to grow stronger, and move on. You are as beautiful as ever, my heaven. _

_ With love, Neji_

Tenten smiled and sighed happily. She was glad when she found no tears escaping her eyes, only peace and joy came from the letter. She quickly folded it up and stuffed it into her bra. Looking up at the clock on the wall, she gasped and realized that she had five minutes left to prepare. She scrambled around and began sloppily writing in a scroll and rushing around to gather any weapons she could get her hands on. Attaching some explosive tags here and there, scribbling, bundling, rushing around like a mad woman, she did her best with the five minutes she had.


	9. Chapter 9

Wow! :) thank you all so much! Your reviews are really encouraging and they inspire me to update sooner! So please continue to review I love it! Thank you all! I'm so thrilled. Also, thank you for reading and putting up with my mistakes. I know that I make many of them as I write! Sorry! :( I was originally going to have the battles in that last chapter as well, but it just ran too long. So here they are! battles are seriously a weak point of mine, so try not to flame! Please take into consideration that this is my rendition of Naruto, so fighting styles may or may not be tweaked ;) I realize that you're waiting and anticipating romance between these two, hang tight we're getting there!

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

_**Chapter 9 ***__ The Chonin exams part 2_

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Sasuke entered into the indoor arena with Anko and Ibiki and took his place on the far left side, awaiting his unknown opponent. He took a deep breath and scanned the area. The stands were completely packed. Everyone from Konoha was eager to see Sasuke and the outcome of his upcoming battle. He spotted Naruto, Lee, Gai, Sakura, Shikamaru, Ino, and Sai. But Tenten was no where to be found. He looked down for a moment but immediately raised his head and gasped when he heard her name announced. He was to fight Kakashi Sensei and Tenten both. He turned his face to the other end of the arena and sure enough, there she was, standing next to Kakashi, giving him a determined look._ Dammit! _He shook his head and looked over at her. Tenten knew Sasuke looked displeased. She noticed him opening his mouth to speak, but he stopped when he saw her mouth moving.

'_it's fine!' _She mouthed to him, hoping he was okay with the strange battle arrangement.

_'No, I'm not fighting you.' _He mouthed back, giving her a stern look. Sasuke was more than frustrated. He didn't want to fight Tenten at all, she was the last person on earth he wanted to fight in front of all of Konoha. He just couldn't. Ruthless, demented and dark Sasuke, murderer of his own brother, couldn't fight a Konoichi in the Chonin exams. What a softy he'd become.

Tenten thought fast, she knew if she made him feel bad, he might not forfeit the match. _'Because I'm a girl?!' _She replied silently, placing a hand on her hip and narrowing her brows.

Sasuke knew exactly what she was doing, but if he forfeited now, he would never hear the end of it after what she just implied. _'No!... Dammit, fine.' _He sighed heavily and nodded to Ibiki, alerting him that he was now ready to commence. The entire crowd cheered loudly as Ibiki shouted for them to begin. Sasuke could hear three distinct voices above the rest in the crowd. Lee, Gai and Natuto. He knew they were all probably a little unsure of who to root for at this point.

Tenten smiled and gave Sasuke a happy nod, pleased with his decision. She was nervous, knowing he wouldn't be holding back, but at the same time she wanted to her her friend she'd grown so close to over the past few weeks to succeed. Her plan of action was to let Kakashi occupy Sasuke, an during that time she would strike. She wasn't sure just how much power Sasuke held inside of himself, especially now with Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan. It seemed so much more complex than the Byakugan.

Sasuke jumped back a few feet when Ibiki gave the okay to begin the battle. He decided to start with something simple, Fire style Jutsu. In order to preserve Chakra, and not end the battle too quickly with Amaterasu or Chidori. Kakashi countered Sasuke with flames of his own, being the copy cat ninja of Konoha. Before Tenten knew it, Kakashi and Sasuke were both spewing flames at each other, both flames fighting for dominance.

_Alright, here's my shot. _Tenten leaped into the air with two swirling scrolls, and smoke dragons surrounding her. _Rising Twin Dragons, new and improved. _Weapons rapidly began to speed through the swirling vortex Tenten danced inside, and whizzed at Sasuke with incredible speed. Sasuke quickly dodged and lept back, abandoning his Fire style Jutsu in order to keep from becoming impaled. More and more weapons rained down around him and he dodged quickly to and fro, avoiding any contact with the blades, but it was sure close.

_Damn, I'm gonna have to take her out first. _He thought to himself, reluctantly. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, Sasuke had appeared behind Tenten. He had somehow managed to get in between her spinning scrolls without becoming tangled or caught up in the vortex. Tenten's brown eyes widened and she gasped when she felt his hand around her ankle. "Gotcha." He said with a smirk. Sasuke spun her around and sent her downward, plummeting toward the ground at high speed.

Tenten prepared to hit the ground but Kakashi jumped up quickly and caught her before impact. Several discarded weapons lay all about the arena, and shortly after Tenten landed, her scrolls did too, followed by the Uchiha. Kakashi sat Tenten down and began to do several hand signs. As he did this, Tenten noticed Sasuke summoning some weapons of his own. _Senbon. _Before she could warn Kakashi, Sasuke threw a barrage of Chidori Senbon at Kakashi. Tenten gasped loudly and was about to jump in front of Kakashi as she noticed his body being pierced repetitively by the Senbon, but he disappeared in a cloud of smoke and she sighed in relief. The relief was gone in an instant when her shoulder writhed with pain.

_Two, three, four. _Four Senbon pierced her right shoulder, causing it to go numb and limp. _oh dammit... Okay, that's it! _Tenten growled and looked back at Kakashi Sensei, who gave her a knowing nod. She then ran full speed ahead, directly at Sasuke. Sasuke could tell that she was about to launch a significant amount of weapons very soon, but he could also tell that Kakashi had something to do with this scheme as well. The Sharingan could only say so much.

"Attached Meteor!" Tenten cried as a long chain began to whip in circles and suddenly fling around Sasuke's arms and waist, restraining him. Tenten yanked as hard as she could on the chain with her good arm, and summoned a scroll. Sasuke, at this point, could only use a Genjutsu. How she managed to catch him, he had no clue. He was usually faster than that, he could usually tell what was going to happen, but the girl was so cute when she was angry and determined, maybe he _wanted _to be captured by her. Sasuke was trapped, and Tenten kept her gaze away from his blood red eyes. Weapons, everywhere, flew at Sasuke and Tenten as she summoned and Kakashi used his Sharingan to mirror Tenten's Jutsu.

Once the barrage of weapons ceased, Sasuke opened his eyes and looked around. _How clever, yet how foolish. Oh dammit Tenten. _Tenten had sacrificed her self in order to weaken Sasuke for Kakashi to attack. By being so close range, she knew that she would have to take damage for their tactic to work. She had already used up a good amount of chakra with her first Jutsu, and now she was just about drained of it. Sasuke was holding up significantly better than Tenten, although he had taken several hits, he was able to continue in battle. He looked to his shaken companion, she was trying to stand, although completely battered by the weapons Kakashi sent her way. Sasuke rushed to her to help her up, concerned for the reckless Konoichi.

"Tenten!" Sasuke exclaimed as he put his arms under hers, no longer caring about the outcome of the battle. Tenten winced in pain, but she was determined to push him away and make him finish this fight. With all of her strength, she pressed on his chest and pushed herself away from him. Tenten took a deep breath and summoned what strength she had left, groping for whatever weapons she had on hand, she began to fling small shirikken and kunai his way. Sasuke quickly snatched a flying kunai and began deflecting the attacks with ease. the clinking sound of metal continued until Tenten ran out of weapons.

"Don't you dare hold back!" Tenten yelled as she ran quickly at him, with the intention of fighting with taijutsu. She swung her left arm at him swiftly, but Sasuke grabbed it a just as quickly and placed his other hand on her right shoulder and pressed, digging the senbon in deeper .She winced in pain as he twisted her left arm turning her completely around and nearly snapping her arm. Tenten let out a shriek of pain and Sasuke released her instantly. He hated to hurt her, but at the same time, he knew just how angry she would be if he gave up. She was stubborn and independent, and if he stopped now, she'd only kick his ass later, and expound about how he let the team down. Tenten, now without much use of either arms, turned around and kicked at Sasuke, determined not to give up until she could no longer move. She was proving to herself, and everyone else that she could keep up. Not only that, but she was helping her teammate pass the exams. Sasuke ad had enough of her suffering. He swiftly grabbed ahold of her kicking leg and put his arm around her waist. Pulling her close, he kissed her forehead and then punched her firmly in the stomach, causing her to cough hard and collapse to the ground. "I'm so sorry, Tenten." He whispered as he looked down sadly upon her body.

The crowd gasped at what their eyes had just seen. Sakura was infuriated that Sasuke had kissed another girl, but thrilled that the kiss was followed by a hard blow to the gut. She cheered loudly, breaking theough the silence of te crowd. Everyone in the stands was stirring and anxious, amazed at the things that were taking place before them.

Sasuke's eyes darted away from Tenten when he heard the familiar buzz of lightning. Kakashi's hand was glowing bright blue, preparing to strike Sasuke with Chidori. He quickly drew his sword, ablaze with blue lightning and rushed at Kakashi. The entire arena filled with a bright white light as the two collided.

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Tenten opened her brown eyes slowly and took a long deep breath. She realized she was in the recovery room of the infirmary, so familiar to her after her own Chonin exams. Her body ached, but before the pain, she wondered what the outcome of the battle was. Suddenly, she realized she was not alone. She turned her head to the side and smiled when she saw Sasuke planted on a chair next to her bed. His elbows were on his knees and his hands were clasped together. His dark eyes were fixated on her as he sat. He had several scrapes and bruises on his toned and muscular body, his shirt was tattered and torn, hanging hopelessly around his arms and shoulders. He looked extremely worried and a tad agitated. Tenten thought back to the very last few seconds she was conscious during battle. Sasuke had pulled her body swiftly to his and placed a sweet, soft kiss right on her forehead.

Tenten smiled and placed her hands firmly on the bed and began to sit up, but was stopped by Sasuke's hand upon her good shoulder, pushing her back down. "Just take it easy, Tenten." Sasuke plead quietly. He examined his friend, her brown hair now curly was strewn around her gracefully as she lay. Her upper body was wrapped in medical tape, chest torso and her right shoulder. A small red spot seeped through the tape where the Senbon had impacted. Her face was tired and a bit scraped up, but she still wore a smile. He felt awful for her condition, if he had forfeited then she would still be fine. And that last moment he had been so violent, yet here she was, smiling right at him. He was slightly agitated With her, seeing as how she took much damage in order weaken Sasuke.

Tenten knew Sasuke had a lot on his mind by the look on his face. "Did you win? You better have or I'll have to get out of this bed and kick your ass all over again." She threatened playfully. Lee had visited her once while she was in recovery after fightin Temari, but Neji had not. Partly because he was prepping for his own battles, but then, she had never felt more alone. But now, Sasuke was here with her, waiting to see if she was alright.

"I'm a Chonin now." He nodded. Tenten was about to congratulate him, but he wasn't done speaking. "You were really reckless with that second Jutsu, Tenten." He spoke, his voice and face filled with concern. He was also slightly angry that she put herself at such risk.

Tenten gritted her teeth and looked away from her teammate. The words he spoke would have just as easily rolled off of Neji's tongue. That was one thing Tenten did not appreciate about Neji, his blunt and slightly painful statements. Tenten had gone out of her way to ensure that Sasuke passed and all he could comment on was how reckless she had been. Now Tenten was agitated. "Thanks for stopping by." She said, still not looking at him. She knew that it was possible Sasuke was just as bad at communicating his feelings as Neji, but up until this point, she hadn't felt that way. Regardless of any underlying emotion he may have had, Tenten was now angry and didn't feel like talking to him at all. She was also confused, especially by his actions right before she collapsed.

"I was just concerned that I might..." He paused and stood up from his chair. "Nevermind. I hope you have a quick recovery." He shook his head, angry at himself. What Sasuke wanted to say was that he was proud of her fighting skills, and that he appreciated her actions. He wanted to tell her thank you, and that he hoped she would be up and feeling better soon. He wanted to apologize for hurting her, but the words just wouldn't come.

Tenten sighed. "That you might what?" She asked annoyed.

"That I might lose you, Tenten." Sasuke said, looking over his shoulder at her as he stood in the doorway. Tenten didn't know how to react to the statement he just made. It spoke volumes to her, and it stopped her heart for a moment. Did Sasuke really care that much? Over the past few weeks, Tenten had grown to care for Sasuke very much. She was too stubborn to express that openly, but words just fell out of her mouth.

"You Baka!" She yelled. "You're not losing me any time soon." She said with a small smirk. Sasuke turned around to face her and leaned against the frame of the door, relieved that the girl had been understanding of his lack of eloquent words.

"Well you owe me for scaring me." He teased as a smirk of his own graced his pale face.

"Owe you?! Uh uh! _You _owe me! I fought with you knowing I would lose so you would win, you stabbed me with four Senbon and punched me so hard I blacked out. I don't think so buddy!" Tenten retorted, sitting up slowly and wincing at her movement. The Chidori Senbon had done some damage, and Tsunade had assigned Sakura to heal Tenten. Of course Sakura had no intention of helping Tenten.

"Be careful." Sasuke said as he rushed back to her side. Sasuke sighed and placed his face in his palm. "I'm sorry Tenten."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to me." She said with a chuckle. Before Sasuke could speak, the two were interrupted by the sound of their Hokage clearing her throat.

Sasuke turned to face her and gave her a nod. "Tsunade."

"Congratulations Sasuke. May I speak to Tenten in private?" Tsunade asked as she entered into the room.

"Thank you. Be my guest." Sasuke looked down at Tenten and smiled, he then exited the room, obliging to the Hokage's request. Tsunade closed the door behind Sasuke and sat in the seat next to Tenten.

"I take it Sakura didn't heal you. Why are you suddenly rivals?" Tenten's hero asked as she extended her green glowing hands toward Tenten to begin healing her.

"She thinks she owns Sasuke, and sees me as a threat to her and her so called relationship with him." Tenten said as she relaxed her body, slowly being eased of her pain.

"That's what I want to talk to you about, Tenten." Tsunade replied as she looked intently at her pupil. Tenten froze, she had no idea what Tsunade was about to say, and the look on her face told Tenten it was serious.

"What do you mean Tsunade?" Tenten asked as she gazed up at her mentor.

"Do you trust Sasuke, Tenten?" Tsunade asked, leaning back in her chair after completing her healing Jutsu.

"Yes, I trust Sasuke. Why do you ask?" Now Tenten was afraid. She had hoped Tsunade wasn't questioning her because she felt Sasuke was a threat to Konoha. Although it was very possible for Sasuke to be a threat, Tenten knew it wasn't likely. She trusted him with her life, she knew he easily could've destroyed her in the arena, as well as the entire crowd if he wanted.

"Good. I haven't seen Sasuke get as close as he is with you, with anyone in the time I've known him. Take into consideration, Tenten, that the Uchiha clan will need rebuilt somehow." Tsunade said, giving a slight smirk.

Tenten's cheeks turned pink at Tsunade's words. What was she implying? Tenten thought of Sasuke and his quiet yet bold personality. She thought of the way he smiled that bad boy smile at her, the way he chuckled lightly but refrained from bursting into laughter. She thought of the way he held her in the shower the night they were reunited, the way he had taken it upon himself to ensure her safety. The soft kiss he planted on her forehead just hours ago. It was clicking with Tenten finally, that maybe Sasuke had feelings for her. Her stomach flip flopped And filled with butterflies, but she tried to push the feelings away. She wasn't sure she wanted children at all, seeing as how she was still pursuing Neji's dream of being an Anbu captain. Had Neji been alive now though, her plans may be different. But he wasn't, and Tenten realized that more than anyone on Konoha. "I.." She tried to reply but she just couldn't find the words. Tsunade had rendered her completely speechless.

"Just think about that, okay? Get home and get some rest." Tsunade smiled warmly down at the brunette Konoichi and stood. "Good job out there, Tenten. Neji would've been proud."

"I know he is. Thank you Tsunade, that means a lot. Thank you for healing me." Tenten said with a smile. It warmed her to the core when Tsunade complemented her.

"Oh and Tenten," Tsunade said as her hand paused on the cool door handle. "Thanks for being there for Sasuke." Tsunade gave her a nod and left the room at that.


	10. Chapter 10

Well amazing... Simply amazing! Readers, thank you! Reviewers, bless you! As always I just cannot thank you enough for your support. Every one of you has been nothing but good to me, and I'm so grateful. We made it to chapter 10! Obviously, there was a little confusion last chapter, and a reader thought I was ending it there, but nay! I'm not even close, so be happy:)

**I do not own Naruto and I never will**

_**Chapter 10 * **admit it_

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"What a fight, eh guys?!" Naruto beamed as he walked out of the academy with Sakura and Hinata. He stretched his hands behind his head and smiled.

"Yes, it was very moving especially the ending. Do you think Sasuke has feelings for Tenten, Naruto?" Hinata asked softly, turning her head to look at the blonde jinchuriki. Sakura clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth, as much as she hated to hear about Tenten and Sasuke, she knew it would be good to hear Naruto's opinion on things.

"Oh... Hmm..." Naruto paused for a moment, he stopped walking and placed his index finger to his chin. "Well now that I think about it, I think Sasuke is in love with her, Hinata." Naruto replied, as he began walking again. Hinata gave a warm smile and a blush.

"That's so sweet!" She said, blushing wildly at the sensitivity Naruto showed, maybe just at the mention of love.

"Doesn't it bug you though, Hinata, that Tenten was just with Neji not too long ago? I mean weren't they really serious? Doesn't that make Tenten look bad?" Sakura prodded, continuing to walk next to the couple.

"It makes me happy for her. Neji and Tenten may have loved each other, but that love went unspoken until the very end. He never kissed her, or held her hand. To be honest, Sakura, Neji was just too shy about loving her openly. And a little embarrassed she had no clan affiliation. But he loved her." Hinata replied. Naruto looked over at Hinata and gave her a smile while snaking his fingers between hers. He wanted to let her know that he would openly love her. Hinata blushed again and smiled.

Sakura, sick of the couple at this point, dug further in to Hinata's knowledge of the two. "Well... They didn't ever kiss? That's weird. Did either of them like anyone else?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest as they made their way toward the ramen shop.

"Well, it took Neji a long time to realize that he loved Tenten. it was during our Chonin exams when she told Neji she thought that Sasuke was cute that he began to realize. Tenten had a crush on Neji from the start I think. oh! Kiba did take her out on a date though. He has a huge crush on her." Hinata said with a giggle.

"So Tenten thought Sasuke was cute back then? And Kiba likes Tenten... Alright I can work with that. Sasuke won't be hers for long." Sakura smiled. Naruto stopped once again in his tracks And growled. He wanted for Sasuke to be happy, as well as Tenten. To him, it looked as though they brought happiness to each other, much like Hinata did for him.

"Sakura, I think Sasuke's actually happy with her. Why do you wanna ruin it so bad? He doesn't like you!" Naruto snapped, angry at the hateful actions of his friend.

"I agree with Naruto on this one." Hinata said quietly.

"Forget you two! I'm outta here!" Sakura said, before dashing away.

"she's gonna go do something mean, isn't she?" Hinata asked, turning to her love.

"We should probably go stop her huh?" Naruto asked, as he scratched the back of his head.

Hinata nodded and they headed after Sakura.

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Tenten got out of bed shortly after her mentor had left and was deep in thought as she pondered the words Tsunade had spoken to her moments ago. She gazed out the window of the room out at the sunset. she thought about what it would be like to be with Sasuke for the rest of her life. It didn't seem so far fetched, it seemed like what was currently happening. She just had trouble admitting it, even to herself. She still missed him, Neji, but when she was with Sasuke, she didn't think about it. She didn't feel pain, sadness or loneliness. He gave her hope again, when she had none left. Tenten heaved a sigh, and picked up the clothes Tsunade had laid out for her. She shook her head as she held up the garment. It was a gray kimono style shirt. Just like what Tsunade wore daily, paired with a blue sash. She smiled and got dressed. the outfit didn't look too bad in her opinion, although if she could, she would've wore something longer. The shirt fell to the middle of her thighs like a short dress. Tenten ran her fingers through her long dark hair and then gathered her things in a bag and walked out of her room.

She walked down the hallway toward the front doors, her bare feet gracing the cool tile floor. she could see in the distance someone sitting on the benches at the entrance. As Tenten got closer, she realized it was Sasuke. Once she saw him sitting there her stomach filled with butterflies and her heart skipped a beat. _Damn Tsunade_. Tenten quickened her pace, drawn to his warm and familiar presence she'd become so used to. Sasuke noticed her walking down the hall and stood. He was glad she was alright. His eyes widened when he saw the outfit she was wearing and it made the surface of his cheeks turn pink. Her muscular, tan legs flexed as she walked. Her body sang to him as she grew closer, and he realized he was going to need a cold shower soon.

"Hey." She said as she finally reached him. "You didn't have to wait for me." She said with a little smile.

Sasuke cleared his throat before speaking. The Konoichi was absolutely breath taking and he was powerless to her charms. "That's okay, I wanted to walk you home." He replied, thankful that his voice didn't crack and his nose didn't bleed.

Tenten could tell he was more than a little flustered. It made her blush a little, although she was never one to be purposefully seductive. Sasuke, to Tenten was always seductive, and she wasn't sure if it was on purpose or if she was just attracted to him. "Sure." She said with a smile. Sasuke took Tenten's bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Hey, I've got arms I can carry that." Tenten said, slightly annoyed.

"If you keep being so damn stubborn, how am I gonna make it up to you? Now just let me carry the bag, alright?" Sasuke retorted, giving Tenten a determined and stern expression. Tenten met her match, Sasuke was beginning to understand her feminist ways, and how she hated to be treated like a weak and helpless girl who needed a man to take care of her. Sasuke didn't see her that way, he saw her as deserving. Sasuke was just as stubborn as she, and he was determined to Treat her with respect, and take care of her.

"Oh fine! But that doesn't mean I'm not capable of carrying my own things." Tenten said, folding her arms and walking out the door of the infirmary. Sasuke smirked as she walked ahead of him. He stood and admired the view for a moment before running to catch up to her. Tenten giggled lightly at Sasuke as he carried her bag. She had to admit, it was kind of sweet he took it upon himself to carry it for her. Sasuke watched her silently as they walked, he was unsure of his feelings or how to relay them to her. Every time he thought back to the last real conversation he had with Itachi about rebuilding his clan, the only person he could ever imagine doing that with would be her. But he had no clue how to tell her that.

"Ow!" Tenten broke the silence and grabbed tightly onto Sasuke's arm while standing on one foot. Sasuke steadied her with both hands as she balanced.

"What happened?" He asked, looking down at the foot that Tenten held off the ground.

"I stepped on glass, dammit." Tenten reached down and pulled out a long, thin shard of glass from her foot and winced. Sasuke's eyes widened and he crinkled his nose.

"Where the hell are your shoes? You can't walk around barefoot or that's what happens." He said, pulling off the remainder of his shirt.

"I don't know, I guess I left them in the recovery room. What are you doing? Ah!" Tenten squealed when she felt Sasuke's arms around her waist, tying his shirt around her. Sasuke then turned around and picked her up piggy back style, the way Itachi used to do with him. He had tied his shirt to her so that she wouldn't be mooning all of Konoha in her short dress shirt. Tenten blushed, she was impressed he had been that thoughtful. She draped her arms around his bare shoulders and held onto him as he carried her. Tenten pressed her face into his spiky black hair and sighed.

"Tenten," Sasuke spoke, as he continued carrying his friend.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked, holding onto her tightly.

Tenten was surprised by his question. Like Neji, Sasuke wasn't one to ask about anything like this. They usually waited for her to speak up, and of course she never did. "Yes, thank you. My foot hurts though." She giggled, knowing as soon as they got to her place, Sasuke would be fixing it.

"Holy shit." Sasuke exclaimed as his ebony eyes widened. He was unsure if his eyes were deceiving him, or if he really saw Neji approaching the two.

"What? What is it?!" Tenten asked, peaking her head around his. Her jaw dropped when she saw what Sasuke had just cursed about. "Neji?" She whispered. Next to Neji was the pink haired rival Tenten had acquired. Sasuke started to let Tenten down gently, knowing that she would most likely want to see him, but Tenten held onto him, so he held onto her. Neji and Sakura approached Sasuke and Tenten and came to a stop when the pairs were face to face.

"Tenten," Neji said smiling a little. "Why are you with Sasuke?"

Immediately with his statement, Tenten knew that Neji was an imposter. Neji had been the one urging her to move on with Sasuke, and aside from that, the imposter's chakra was far too weak to be Neji.

"Im walking home with him because I can. Is there a problem _Neji?_" Tenten asked angrily. She clung tightly to Sasuke, knowing if she jumped down now, she would attack both fake Neji and Sakura, who Tenten knew was behind the whole thing.

"See Neji, I told you she was a slut, that she moved on and that she doesn't care about you. She never did! Let's go." Sakura said, smirking menacingly.

"You're right, she is." The fake Neji replied blankly. After he finished speaking, Naruto and Hinata could be seen walking up in the distance behind Sakura and the imposter.

"I don't even know what you saw in her in the first place Neji. Even Naruto lowered his standards from me." Sakura said with a roll of her glassy green eyes.

Naruto growled from behind Sakura, squeezing Hinata's hand. Hinata, wounded by Sakura's statement, and shocked to see her cousin risen from the dead, began crying.

"Who are you?!" Sasuke demanded of Neji. Now Tenten did jump down, ignoring the pain in her foot, she rushed at Neji and punched him square in the nose. A poof of smoke after the fierce fisted Tenten, revealed a very surprised and wounded Kiba.

"How dare you! Both of you! I don't care how much you think you love Sasuke, Sakura!" Tenten screamed, grabbing Sakura by the collar and pulling her violently. "What you did was wrong, Neji is dead and you have disrespected him, and his family. And look at what you did to Hinata! She heard what you said." Tenten growled, glaring her brown eyes intensely at Sakura.

"I.. I..." Sakura said with quivering lips. She had never seen the brunette Konoichi so angry in her life. She planned to have Kiba whisk Tenten away and then swoop in on Sasuke once Tenten was out of the picture, but it had seriously back fired.

"You're nothing but a pathetic little bitch and you need to get a life, because I'm sick of dealing with your drama!" Tenten yelled in Sakura's face.

"Woah, woah Tenten, calm down!" Kiba plead, feeling partly responsible for the whole incident. Tenten released Sakura and approached Kiba slowly. Sasuke watched intently as Tenten let out her anger on Sakura, he was going to make sure he had his say too.

Naruto, although desperate to get in on the action in front of him, held Hinata close and comforted her, assuring her that he loved her and that everything was okay. Poor Hinata was so upset seeing the fake Neji.

Sakura was infuriated Tenten had the last word, acting fast, she whipped out a Kunai and sent it flying at Tenten. Sasuke rushed to stop the Kunai from hitting Tentn, as did Kiba, causing the two to collide and the Kunai to graze Tenten's forearm.

"Tenten!" Sasuke yelled, shoving Kiba to the ground and rushing to Tenten's side. Tenten growled again, this time she was extremely angry, but Sasuke was even more. He placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes deeply for a moment. "I'll take care of you." He said firmly before turning and pushing her behind him. "Sakura! If you ever do something like this again, I will not hesitate to kill you. If you so much as come within Ten feet of Tenten, I will make sure you suffer. You have caused enough damage!"

"Why do you care so much about her and not me?! I was there for you from the beginning! She doesn't even love you." Sakura sobbed.

"That doesn't Mean anything to me, Sakura. I could never love you. You're pathetic. If Tenten never loved me, I would still protect her with my life. So both of you, get the hell out of her now!" Sasuke glared his red eyes at the two and gritted his teeth.

Kiba stood, grabbed Sakura by the hand and took off in the opposite direction. Once the two were gone, Tenten hugged Sasuke tightly from behind for a moment. He smiled and touched her hands before she let go. "Thank you." She whispered. Tenten then went over to Hinata and gave Naruto a look. Naruto slowly let go of Hinata and nodded to Tenten. "Hinata." Tenten said softly. Hinata raised her head and looked at Tenten with big, watery eyes. Tenten wrapped her arms tightly around the Hyuga girl, and Hinata did the same. "It's okay, Hinata."

"W-why would someone do that? I-I really miss him. Why would K-Kiba?" Hinata stammered between sobs.

"I don't know, Hinata. They're just mean and desperate. I wouldn't blame Kiba for it, it was all Sakura's doing." Tenten replied, as she tightened her grip on the hysterical girl.

Naruto backed away from then embracing Konoichi and approached Sasuke with his hands in his pockets. "You really like her, don't you?"

"Who?" Sasuke pretended. He really wasn't in the mood to talk about girls with Naruto of all people. But Naruto was in a relationship, which was something Sasuke never anticipated happening.

"Don't play dumb, Sasuke, Tenten. You're in love with her." Naruto said, getting a large and wide grin on his face and a childish giggle. "We're buddies you can tell me."

"I don't need to tell you anything, Naruto." Sasuke said, annoyed and rolling his dark eyes. Naruto wasn't about to give up though.

"You're right, I can tell by the way you look at her. I know you're in love with her.. I've never seen you act the way you just did. Admit it." Naruto said, crossing his arms and smirking.

"If you already know, then why do I need to tell you, dork?" Sasuke said, shrugging his shoulders and looking down at his feet.

"Aha! I knew it. Now we can go on double dates." Naruto smiled proudly at his friend, and elbowed him gently.

"Shut up, Naruto. I don't think she wants to go on a date with me right now." Sasuke replied as he looked over at Tenten who was still comforting Hinata.

"You never know man. You never know." Naruto said shaking his head.

Tenten finally let go of the sobbing girl and looked her in the eye. It was hard not to think of Neji when she did so. "Why don't you two come to my house with Sasuke and I? I'll make us some tea and we can talk. Would that be okay?"

"Your arm, Tenten. It probably needs stiches." Hinata said, pointing out the blood dripping from her freshly wounded arm.

"It'll be fine." Tenen said with a smile. "You wanna come?"

"I'll ask Naruto. But first, Tenten?" Hinata asked, wide eyed and intent.

"Yeah, Hinata?" Tenten replied.

"I think it's okay." Hinata said with a smile of her own, patting Tenten's head.

Tenten looked at Hinata confused. "What's okay?"

"If you like him, Tenten, don't be afaid to say so. I don't regret telling Naruto." Hinata said, opening her eyes and giggling.

"I...W-well I.." Tenten was caught completely off guard. It was as if Hinata knew exactly what was going on inside of Tenten.

Hinata giggled once more and then walked over to Naruto and Sasuke. "Tenten wonders if we would like to acompany her and Sasuke for some tea at her house. You want to go?" Hinata asked, Batting her eyelashes a few times.

Naruto looked to Sasuke and gave him a large grin as if to say 'I told you so!'. "I think that sounds great, believe it!"

Sasuke, at this point, was completely baffled. How on earth could Naruto of all people, see that coming. He shrugged. If it was Tenten's suggestion, which Hinata said it was, then he would do it. If making Tenten happy meant sitting with the knuckle head for a while, he'd sit through it. Sasuke knew the gesture wasn't about Tenten, or her happinesss. He saw the sorrow in Hinata's face, and he knew it was't too long ago that Tenten wore that same expression on her own beautiful face. He knew Tenten and Hinata would do well if they spent time together, both being so close to Neji. The only downfall in the situation was that he had to be with Naruto in the process.

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When they arrived at Tenten's appartment, Naruto and Hinata both sat on Tenten's couch in front of her coffee table. Naruto was quick to grab her hand and sit close and comfy with her.

"You sure like weapons, eh Tenten?" He asked as his eyes studied the walls of her home. Most girls had flowers and photos as decor, but Tenten's house was like a museum of sharp and pointy tools.

"Yeah, a little." Tenten said with a giggle from the kitchen. Sasuke had followed her in, trying to grab her and stop her from preparing tea so he could tend to her wounds, but she was just too wrapped up in serving her guests. Tenten was thinking about everything. Hinata may have had a point, but could Tenten really come out and say it? That she had genuine feelings for the Uchiha? She had to say something. For crying out loud, he had defended her from the psycho Sakura on more than one occasion. Sasuke had Taken care of her during her darkest times, and Tenten hadn't really done much in return for him. Tenten decided to say something to him about it. She grabbed the tea kettle and turned around from the stove she was standing in front of and gasped when she found that Sasuke was right in front of her.

"Let me help you." He said quietly, guesturing to her arm. It aggrivated him a little to see her putting the tea before her own wounds.

"I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you thank you for all you do for me, Sasuke. I realized I don't really do much for you in return." She said looking down. Sure she had helped him study, but that was nothing in comparison to him helping her pick up the pieces of her shattered heart, and shambled life.

Sasuke leaned in close to Tenten's face, his lips inches from hers. "You don't know how much you've done for me, and my little black heart." Sasuke then placed one hand behind her head, pulled her close, and pressed his lips gently against hers. Tenten's brown eyes widened and her grip on the kettle was lost, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter. Sasuke began to pull away, but Tenten's eyes fluttered closed and she returned his kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

Hey guys. Sorry to make you wait, I've been super sick for the past FOREVER! I am SOOOO SOORRRYYYYYYY FORGIVE MEEEE MINAAAAA! I feel like that last chapter was sorta all over the place, sorry about that. I was really eager to post a new chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoyed their kiss ^_^ I felt you all deserved a little treat. Thank you SOOOOO much for the reviews, keep em coming! You're all so great! Please enjoy!

_**Chapter 11 * **First Mission together: To the cloud!  
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Naruto walked into the kitchen to investigate the loud crashing noise he had heard moments ago. His bright blue eyes widened when he saw Sasuke Uchiha in an intense lip lock with Tenten. "Believe it!" He yelled, proud of Sasuke for making a move on the girl that he some what admitted that he loved. Sasuke broke away from Tenten immediately and glared red threatening eyes in the knucklehead's direction.

"Naruto..." Sasuke growled. Tenten's face was all sorts of red as she stood in the puddle of hot tea and broken ceramic. She was still a little shocked at what Sasuke had just done.

"Naruto, why are you spying on them?" Hinata asked, walking up next to Naruto and tugging on his arm. "Let's give them their privacy, hm?"

"Alright, alright. We'll go." Naruto said, bummed he couldn't agitate Sasuke more.

"You can stay, it's okay Hinata." Tenten said, embarrassed that her guests were leaving.

"We have some things to do, but we'll get together soon. Thank you Tenten!" Hinata said smiling as she dragged Naruto to the door.

"Double date Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"Shut the hell up, Naruto." Sasuke growled with a roll of his dark eyes.

"Hehehehe..." Naruto's childish giggle was heard through the awkward air until the front door was closed and the couple was gone.

Tenten didn't know what to do or say, but the way the kiss had made her feel was indescribable. Her heart was still pounding violently in her chest, her cheeks were still warm with a blush and her large brown eye were fixated on the Uchiha. He looked so enticing and appealing to her, like a poisons apple that she couldn't resist taking a bite out of.

Sasuke too, was unsure of what to say, so he chose not to say anything. Several feelings were racing through him, and thoughts flooded his mind. He wanted to know how she was feeling, and if he had taken things a bit too far, and made her uncomfortable. He wondered if maybe she felt the same way he had when their lips collided, or if she was just angry. He couldn't tell, she was just as silent as he. Sasuke slowly walked to the girl and picked her up in his arms. He smiled when he heard her gasp in surprise. He felt her fingertips touch the edges of his collar bone as her arms wrapped around his neck. He carried her to the bathroom and set her on the toilet. He knew her wounds needed addressed quickly, before anything.

Sasuke rummaged through the cabinets above her sink to find anything to clean the wounds. He grabbed a small bottle of cleansing alcohol in one hand, a clean rag in the other and placed a roll of medical tape in his mouth. Tenten watched quietly as Sasuke knelt down to the ground to dress the cut in her foot. He set his doctoring items down and placed his hand on the heel of her foot and lifted it. He admired her dainty feet and her little toes, he found them to be quite adorable. He smiled at the thought and began to clean her wound. Tenten winced at the sting of the alcohol and curled her toes. Sasuke looked up at her gave her a small smile. Once the wound was cleaned, he wrapped it with medical tape and gently set her foot back down. He then placed his hands on her bare knees and turned her body to the side to dress the cut on her arm that Sakura had left. Tenten let out a small giggle at his action. Sasuke always seemed to be taking care of her somehow. Since the very first day, he'd been looking out for her, almost as if Neji had sent Sasuke on purpose like a guardian for her.

Sasuke wiped the dried blood off her forearm gently, focused intently on dressing the wound. He thought back to how angry Sakura had made him when she attacked Tenten, and how he would not allow anyone to do harm to Tenten again. He decided to take it upon himself to ensure her safety. He felt responsible for the girl, for some reason. Now she was his purpose in life, it wasn't about revenge or hatred. She was teaching him to love without even trying. She didn't have to, Sasuke was drawn to her immediately because of how different she was. Once he finished wrapping her arm up, Sasuke stood and placed a soft kiss atop her head.

"Goodnight, Tenten." He whispered as his lips lingered there.

"Thank you, Sasuke." Tenten said quietly. Sasuke walked to the doorway of the bathroom and gave her a nod, he then exited her bathroom, and left her home, much like their very first night together.

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"So, you're saying you want them to get married and rebuild the Uchiha clan? Tsunade, that's like an arranged marriage." Shizune said as she gave the Hokage a stern look.

"I want to find out about Tenten's parents. That way i would be able to predict what her children with Sasuke may be like. She may have dominant traits we don't know about, and we want them to have Sharingan. Her file says that she was found just a little out side of Konoha and she was just an infant. No other information is listed. Now due to the fact that she used the Bashosen during the war, which is a weapon only used by Jinchuriki in the past, I have a hunch she may have lineage tracing back to the village hidden in the clouds, or... She may be a far descendant of the Sage of the Six Paths." Tsunade expounded as she sat at her desk studying the little information on Tenten she had.

"So if that were the case, her being a descendant of the Sage of the Six paths, she could marry an Uchiha no problem. We know she's not a Jinchuriki. What do you suggest we do in order to find out? And how do you know they'll even marry each other? They're so young My Lady." Shizune stated, as she took a seat in front I Tsunade.

"Im going to send team Gai to the village hidden by clouds, seeing as how the last Basoshen user was from there, to see if Tenten resembles any of the villagers. Tenten, of course, won't know what it's about, but Gai will. I don't think I'll even have to arrange a marriage between them, Shizune." Tsunade said with a smirk. "And I'm not hoping they get married right now, just before they're too old for children."

"Then what will the mission be according to Tenten?" Shizune asked, confused.

"Simply to retrieve a new medicinal plant they have there and bring it back to Konoha so we can research its uses." Tsunade said slyly.

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Tenten's chocolate eyes snapped open, awakened from her slumber by the sound of someone pounding on her door. She rolled out of bed and looked at the time, it was nearing five o clock. She heaved a sigh, disappointed to have left her peaceful sleep and dreams. She had stayed up late thinking about Sasuke and the kiss they shared in the very same kitchen Neji had proposed to her. She wanted more answers from him, but she figured if he wanted to talk to her, he would. Tenten scratched her head and walked out of her room and down the hall. Tenten growled when the door was banged on once more. "hang on!" She yelled. she reached the front door and swung it open.

"We got a mission!" Lee exclaimed excitedly, giving Tenten a thumbs up and a wide toothy grin.

"We do?" Tenten asked sleepily.

"Yep! To the village hidden by the clouds! Since the war, our villages don't hate each other anymore!" Lee replied, still smiling.

"Oh, wow. That's a long way. Are we leaving today?" She asked her friend as she leaned on her hip and crossed her arms.

"Yeah in a couple hours. We're meeting at Gai sensei's then. Hurry and get ready,it'll be a great challenge!" Lee wrapped his arms around Tenten and squeezed.

"Have you told Sasuke yet?" Tenten asked, prying her green clad friend off of her.

"Not yet. I wanted to be sure you were okay. This will be our first mission without Neji." Lee sighed and looked down.

"Neji will be with us as long as we remember him. I miss him too, Lee." Tenten placed a hand on Lee's shoulder and assured him.

"You are right! We must remember him! I will see you shortly, Tenten!" Lee smiled one last time and rushed home to prepare.

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They'd been traveling away from Konoha and toward the Cloud for several hours. Sasuke and Tenten hadn't spoken to each other the entire time, neither one knowing what to say or how to address the issue. Tenten, normally loud and outspoken, was speechless after the event that happened the night before in her kitchen. Sasuke had picked up all the shattered pieces of her tea kettle she had dropped due to the surprise of his lips against hers before he left. Much like the way he was holding her together now, but without them speaking, Tenten was becoming anxious. She wanted to stop him an pull him to the side and ask him what it was between them. She watched him discreetly as they ran toward their first rest stop. His dark eyes were narrow and focused, his face serious and determined. Tenten could tell he had a lot on his mind.

Sasuke had decided to step back from Tenten, he didn't want to scare her away, so he decided to keep quiet and see if she would say anything. He couldn't pretend that he didn't feel anything less than spectacular when they kissed. he felt as though he was going crazy, this was so new to him. Love was not in his vocabulary, it was not something he understood until Itachi died and Sasuke learned the truth. Still though, he never felt love for a female, or male for that matter. Although he rejoined Konoha, and it may have been for the wrong reasons, he still felt dark, and evil inside. But with Tenten, he felt none of that. It was like she walked into his life at the perfect time.

As they continued further on their five day journey, Sasuke watched Tenten carefully. He knew very well that in order to get to Komohakure, they would be passing right through Otogakure, the village hidden by sound. Although Orrochimaru had been vanquished, Kabuto had escaped. Anyone close to Sasuke would be deemed a prime target by the four eyed psycho. The closer they got to Otoga, The riskier the mission became. Sasuke knew that if they made their camp sooner than later, the less chance they had of being attacked by sound ninja. it was either continue all the way through tonight without stopping, and risk running into sound ninja while exhausted, or stop now and have energy to cross through sound tomorrow safely. Sasuke was about to speak but Tenten spoke before he had the chance.

"Im getting tired." She whined, finally breaking the silence of the group.

"Shall we break now? I'm confident we can go another four hours or so!" Gai chimed, turning to look at his deflated Konoichi.

"I agree with Tenten, we should stop. We're approaching the sound village, the further away from them we are when we rest the better." Sasuke said, giving Tenten a small nod.

"Sounds like a good idea. We'll set up camp." Gai agreed.

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After setting up camp, the group decided who would take watch, and in what order. It was Sasuke who was up first watch. The group settled around in a circle, each laying down not too far from the other. Tenten was between Sasuke and Lee. She studied Sasuke as he sat soberly against a tree, red eyes open wide and scanning the area for any mysterious activities.

"You should be sleeping, Tenten." Sasuke whispered over taking full notice that Tenten was still awake. Gai and Lee had fallen asleep quickly, but Tenten's mind was restless.

"I just... can't sleep." She said with a sigh as she turned to her side and propped herself up in her elbow.

"Is something troubling you?" He asked, a hint of concern lacing his voice. He studied her, she looked weary and tired. Small black lines were under her eyes as if she hadn't slept in a few days, and her face was a little more pale than usual. Sasuke dug through his bag and got a small bottle of juice for her, feeling as though the sugar may help her recover. "Here, you need this."

Tenten then sat up and took the juice. "Thank you, Sasuke." She replied. After taking a sip she replaced the lid of the juice and looked to Sasuke again. "Sasuke..." She started.

"Yes, Tenten?" Sasuke replied, continuing to keep a watchful eye on the area, as well as on Tenten.

"When you..." She paused, nervous and unsure how to put her feelings and questions into words. "Uhm... When you kissed me..." She started.

Sasuke interjected, "Oh Tenten, I'm sorry about that. I really didn't mean to... Well I meant to, I just. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." Sasuke then looked down, feeling bad for the entire situation. Maybe he should've asked permission before planting his lips on someone unsuspectingly.

"No!" Tenten reassured and Sasuke's head came back up to look at her. "I... I mean.." Tenten blushed. "I just... I was curious." Tenten let out a huge sigh. _Just go for it!_ She coached herself. "What did it mean to you?" She asked in a serious tone.

Sasuke's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he replayed the question in his mind. He then proceeded to replay the kiss in his mind. "Tenten." He started with a smile. "It meant that I like you a lot. I'm really not good with words so I had no other way of really expressing my feelings to you." He explained.

All that Tenten could do was blush, but a smile forced itself upon her face and she couldn't stop. "You really do?" She managed to whisper.

Sasuke scooted over to her and leaned his face in close to hers. Carefully he placed an arm around her waist and pulled her even closer to him and softly placed a second kiss on her luscious lips. Tenten's brown eyes fluttered closed, and her heart began to pound rapidly. It felt as though electricity was running through her body, and she wasn't in control anymore. Her arms flew up around his neck and she intensified the kiss by pressing her lips harder and more firmly against his. Sasuke replied by pulling her onto his lap and running his hands up and down her back. His heart too, pounded in his chest. A once empty cavity, whole and warm and alive again. And damn it felt good to him. The fact she was returning his feelings felt even better to him.

Tenten finally broke away from Sasuke. Blushing wildly at the fact she was on his lap and they had just shared a very intense and passionate lip lock. She nervously tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she examined his face. He was just smirking and holding her close to him. "Can you go to sleep now, Tenten?" He whispered shortly before kissing her nose gently. Tenten giggled at this and placed a hand on his cheek. Sasuke smiled and leaned into her touch.

"I guess I'd better." She whispered in reply. "Thank you Sasuke."

"I should be thanking you." He said, then placing a kiss on her cheek and gently sliding her off of his lap and back to her original position. "Goodnight, Tenten."

"Goodnight, Sasuke."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey Mina! Okay so I had posted two chapter. Today, one which was good, but a bit too much, and the following chapter, I actually liked. I proceeded to delete the first, and accidentally deleted the second :( woe is me! I'm sorry for those of you who read the first, and maybe got disturbed, and those of you who read the second an actually liked it! Ah! I'm such a baka. **

**For those of you who did not read the first chapter twelve I posted, here is a short summary of what took place. The team began their day continuing on to the village hidden in the clouds, during that time, Tenten was captured by Kabuto and informed that her parents were Mei Uzumaki, sister of Kushina Uzumaki. (Mei a Character I created) Mei was said to be a missing nin who ran away and fell in love with Zabuza Momochi, who was presumed to be Tenten's father. After Kabuto informs Tenten, he puts her in a state of temporary Paralysis and takes advantage of her. Shortly after this happens, Sasuke and the team barge in and rescue her, But sasuke feels guilty for not protecting her. keep in mind this whole event was quite graphic, for that i apologize. I will now try and pick up from there. So sorry for all this jumbled mess I created for myself. **

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND NEVER WILL**

**_Chapter 12- I will protect you*_**

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"Sasuke?" Tenten asked as she lightly shook his shoulders. She had taken watch right after Sasuke, who fell asleep right away and now seemed to be having a terrible dream. He was tossing and turning, clutching at his chest, quietly mumbling and his face was pale and sweaty. Tenten, this time more concerned than before, shook him again. "Sasuke, wake up."

Sasuke sat up and his sharingan eyes flung open and locked onto hers. "No!" He shouted, amazingly he did not wake the others, as he grasped onto her shoulders tightly. He then blinked a few times and his eyes returned to normal as he examined her perplexed face. "You're okay?" He whispered, slowly realizing the previous happenings had all been a dream.

Tenten gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course I am silly, why wouldn't I be?" She asked. Her eyes widened as Sasuke flung his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She gasped quietly when she realized he was trembling.

Although it had been a dream, Sasuke was shaken. He had witnessed one of the most horrific acts being done to the person he cared most for. He couldn't help that feel a though it must have been a premonition of some sort, seeing as how Tenten and Naruto shared similar Features and some personality traits. Lee and Gai had filled him in on the truth behind the mission, at first Sasuke did not want to go, but for Tenten's sake, he did. He figured growing up without even knowing who your parents were must have taken some kind of toll on Tenten. He was still unsure of how to feel about the dream, it felt so real to him, and he had seen both his own perspective, and hers. Seeing her terrified face shook him to the core. _Why didn't I stop him? _He thought to himself as he held her. His heart pounded in his chest.

"What happened, Sasuke?" Tenten asked, aware that something had obviously shaken Sasuke. Sasuke only shook his head and buried his face in the crook of her neck holding her tighter.

He had to know it was real, this moment. Feeling her in his arms, hearing her breathe, it began to slowly sooth him. Finally, he pulled away from her and studied her. She looked concerned, and weary, but no traces of trauma found themselves on her delicate face. Sasuke sighed, relieved that she was indeed unharmed.

"Sorry to make you worry, Tenten." He finally whispered, looking down as his raven locks fell in his face.

"Well, you can tell me what happened. Did you have a bad dream?" She asked, placing a hand on his. Sasuke looked up at her and touched her face with his free hand.

"I don't want to trouble you with it."

"Sasuke," Tenten started as she leaned into his touch. "It's not going to trouble me. If you need to talk, I'm here for you. It might make you feel better." She said, giving him a small smile.

Sasuke blinked a few times and assessed the area. No threats presented themselves, and it appeared to still be relatively early in the night. Sasuke heaved a heavy sigh. "It's kind of... Disturbing"

"It'll be fine. Go ahead."

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For the next half hour, Sasuke explained in detail, everything that occurred in his dream. Even the fact that the true reason they went on the mission was to find out Tenten's lineage. Her reaction surprised him, although at first she looked a bit shaken, and confused.

"I'm so sorry, Tenten." Sasuke whispered, again looking down.

"Sasuke..." Tenten started, as she reached for his hand. Sasuke pulled away, continuing to look downward.

"I should have protected you." he said, his voice cracking a bit.

Stubbornly, Tenten grabbed his hand. "It was just a dream, Sasuke. I'm fine right now."

"Even if it was a dream, Tenten, I should've stopped him."

"I once had a terrifying dream..." Tenten started. This caught Sasuke's attention and he slowly raised his eyes to look at her. "And someone wonderful came to my rescue." She said softly. Suddenly, Tenten again found herself in Sasuke's tight embrace. She smiled and returned his hug.

_I think I love this girl... No, I love her. _"Thank you, Tenten." He whispered while laying his head on her shoulder. Sasuke remembered the night he a stayed over with Tenten after finding her in a Pool of her own blood. This time, it was Tenten who was holding him together. He resolved to protect Tenten at all costs then and there as they held each other. If Kabutp were to show up, if they even ran into him, Sasuke would kill him on the spot, no questions asked.

Tenten smiled, glad she was finally able to give comfort to the one who had been picking her up since Neji died. Sasuke had never been so vulnerable around her, which Tenten understood must be very hard for him to do. She took in the moment as she held him close, knowing he may not show her this side of him again. Suddenly, from the silence Tenten giggled. "Tsunade is sneaky, isn't she?"

Sasuke, too, giggled a little. "Yeah, she really is."

A few moments later, Lee rose to take his watch. Tenten moved her things closer to Sasuke and lay in his arms. Lee didn't question the action, he merely smiled at two. Tenten fell asleep quickly and snuggled close to Sasuke in the night, Sasuke however, kept his eyes open and held onto her tightly.


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay Mina, first of all I would like to beg beg beg for your forgiveness! I've been busy! No excuses I'm sorry :( please forgive me for the Belated update. Anyhow, some of you may not have read the updated chapter 12. If you haven't, please do before continuing to read this, if not you may be confused. Sorry! Bleh! really sorry! This is my most popular story and I don't wanna let any of you down! IM SORRY THIS IS SHORT! I WILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

_**Chapter 13- * Splinters**_

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It had been about a week since the team had returned early for their mission, due to Sasuke's leaking of the plan. Tsunade had requested to see him abruptly after their return and when he did, Sasuke explained to her in detail about the dream.

"Hmmm..." The Hokage said, placing a finger to her chin and staring the pale Uchiha in the eyes. She could tell that the dream had done more than scare him a little, after all, Kabuto was alive, and he was sick and twisted. She wouldn't put it past him To do those things in reality. As Sasuke explained, he seemed tense, and worried about Tenten, who was home and resting, but alone. He was antsy to insure her safety and it was clear by his actions, inflections and demeanor. But Tsunade knew that such a dream couldn't be meaningless, especially from the likes of an Uchiha. Granted, the boy probably had plenty of nightmares in his time, but the vividness of the dream, and what happened within it, was all too real to him. Tsundae also found it interesting that Tenten's alleged parents came up in the dream, and immediately, Tsunade wanted to test Tenten's DNA against Naruto's to see of there could be any relation whatsoever.

Finally, after much thought, Tsunade finally spoke. "Sasuke." She said, gently. Sasuke looked down at her, for he was standing across from her at her desk, unable to sit because of nerves. "Do you feel that this dream was more than just a dream, but a possible premonition of sorts?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and looked directly at the Hokage sternly. "Yes. I have no doubt." He replied in a monotone.

Tsunade then placed her hands on her desk and stood, she then walked around the desk and grabbed Sasuke by the collar. "Then let's do everything we can to protect her, got it?"

Sasuke was a bit unsure why Tsunade seemed to be threatening him, but it didn't matter. He agreed whole heartedly. He would protect Tenten at all costs, it didn't matter who came in his way, even if it was Taunade herself.. Sasuke also knew it would be easier to protect Tenten if he could openly express his feelings to her, and he resolved to do so soon, because those feelings grew significantly after the dream. The comfort she gave him, ignited something within him. "Yes ma'am." He managed to reply. Tsunade released him and brushed off his shirt.

"Have her stop by tomorrow, by then I should have some plan in motion. I want to keep her inside Konoha until I feel she is safe, but she won't like not being able to do any missions. I'll have to give her some kind of task or duty to distract her." Tsunade said as she rounded back to her desk and sat.

Sasuke nodded and began to walk out, before turning and looking back at the Hokage over his shoulder. "Thank you." he said, before exiting her office.

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Sunset neared and The Uchiha made his way slowly through Konoha, knee deep in his own thought. Sasuke wanted to visit Tenten, but he also wanted to give her a little space. They'd been training so much together day in and day out, he was sure she must be tired of him. Still, though, Sasuke wanted to ensure her safety. _How can I without being a stalker? Unless I just.. Barge in... ? No.. Well.. Yes? Ahh! _He began fighting with himself mentally before suddenly being yanked from his thoughts as he heard a familiar female scream. _Tenten?!_ Tenten was walking in his direction from the market place, and it seemed as though time was elapsing in slow motion. Two children had run by a merchant's cart of heavy building materials, causing it to tilt in Tenten's direction, her arms went up and crossed to block the blow, but before it collapsed on top of her, Sasuke rushed as fast as his feet could carry him, in front of her and shoved her out of the way just in time. Tenten stumbled backward and fell onto the ground with a thud and simultaneously, heavy blocks of wood and a few bits of scrap metal toppled onto Sasuke with a cloud of thick sawdust as dirt. Tenten sat up, mouth agape and hands trembling as she stared for a moment, almost waiting for the dust to settle itself.

"Sasuke!" She screamed, finally regaining herself. She stood quickly and rushed to the pile, not caring if it was dangerous or safe. Sasuke could be seriously injured and there was no way she was gonna leave him in there.

"No, it could be dangerous, ma'am" The merchant said, nervously.

"Do I look like I care if it's dangerous?!" Tenten snapped as she began tossing hunks of wood an metal to the side, desperately digging for her companion. More and more dust clouded and thickened the air around her. "Sasuke?!" She screamed as she dug. "Sasuke?!" Her voice cracked as she yelled for him, tears on the verge of falling.

"Hey." Came the Uchiha's voice, followed by a light gasp from the bun haired Konoichi as Sasuke's hand gently latched onto her wrist. "If you're not careful, you'll get splinters." He said, followed by a light chuckle.

"Where are you?" Tenten asked, desperately searching for him in the clouded air. Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her waist and soon after, she was being pulled away from the rubble until they were clear of it. Tenten looked Sasuke up and down. _There's no way he got out of there unscathed. _As Tenten looked, she realized he was covered in scrapes, bruises and little splinters, but his face had a smile that couldn't be denied. It was a different smile than Tenten had seen.

"You were really worried about me, huh?" He asked as he examined the perplexed girl before him.

Tenten blushed and pouted a bit as her chocolate eyes widened. _Now, all of a sudden, he's teasing? He could've gotten really hurt. He could be hurt. We've gotta get him checked out. _"Are you crazy? You could've gotten really hurt! We should go get you checked out." She said, almost scolding as she reached to grab his arm. Sasuke pulled away quickly.

"I'm fine. Just a few scratches." Sasuke replied stubbornly.

Tenten rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm glad you're okay. At least let me help you get all those splinters out." She plead.

Sasuke wouldn't turn down her offer if it meant spending time with her and making sure she was okay, besides, he knew he would need help getting all the splinters out.

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Sasuke sat on Tenten's toilet, shirtless, crinkling his nose and wincing a bit with each pluck of the tweezers. Tenten sat on a small stool directly in front of Sasuke with a small cup in her left hand and a pair of slanted tweezers in her right. His body was more bruised than she had anticipated, and she was almost positive his wrist was sprained, if not broken. She focused herself and stuck her tongue out as she examined his chest for any remaining splinters. So far she had counted at least 85. _Oh Sasuke, you always seem to come to my rescue. At some point, I'll have to rescue you. _She thought, as she plucked yet another splinter from his now red and irritated chest.

As if on cue, or if he had read her mind, Sasuke's hands found themselves atop Tenten's knees and he leaned himself close to her and rested his forehead against hers, breaking her focus completely. Tenten gasped lightly and blinked a few times as his dark orbs fixated themselves onto hers. "Thank you for doing this, Tenten." He said, with a slight smirk.

Tenten's heart pounded. _What is this? I feel... _"Y..you're welcome." She replied. "I owe you." She said, then looking away.

"For what?" Sasuke inquired, putting a hand beneath her chin and turning her gaze toward him once more.

"Everything..." She whispered. "You've done so much for me."

"Don't think this you haven't for me." Sasuke replied as he gently brushed her face with his hand. It was no longer possible for him to hold his feelings inside, it was spewing out of him and he could not stop it. Yes, it was new to him, and a bit scary, but he was willing to accept . Sure, they had kissed in the forest, and made some progress, but this was different. Sasuke realized that Tenten was special to him, and call it fate, destiny, whatever you may, he knew that it certainty wasn't coincidence that they happened to run into each other when she was in desperate need, wound up on the same team and began forming bonds. Truth was, she really wasn't the one in desperate need, he was. Sasuke was a different person all together because of Tenten, and he liked that person he had become.

"Sasuke..." Tenten said as she leaned into his touch looking up at him.

"I love you, Tenten." Sasuke whispered bravely.

"I..." Tenten said through trembling lips. "I'm beginning to love you too, Sasuke."


	14. Chapter 14

**HI Mina! Just to let you know, I suffered for how long I made you wait! I had the whole first half of this stinking chapter typed and it got deleted! :( man that sucks I'm so frustrated about that! Bleh! Please enjoy this! You guys rock.  
I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

**_Chapter 14- * Sleepover_**

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Tenten and Sasuke stared at each other for a few moments of silence after their confessions, wide eyed an both satisfied with the words that were said. Sasuke gently brushed Tenten's face with his hand, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Tenten gave him a small smile and blushed. Yes, she had loved Neji, but what she was experiencing and feeling right now was on a whole other level in comparison. She never really imagined it would come to this so soon, but it couldn't be helped.

Tenten soon came back to reality as she realized she still needed to tend to Sasuke's injuries. She scooted back on her stool, stood and walked to her cabinet. Sasuke too, stood and watched her as she grabbed a clean rag and dampened it with cool water. Tenten turned and looked at him sternly. "Sasuke you need to sit." She scolded with a slight pout in her lip.

Sasuke sighed and sat back down, seeing her cute and concerned face was enough to make him do so. Tenten made her way back over to him and gently and slowly ran the rag across his chest where the splinters had irritated his pale skin. Sasuke closed his eyes and smiled a little. The coolness of the rag was soothing to him.

After a few moments, Tenten took the rag and gently dabbed his forehead and cheeks where a few small scrapes were present. Seeing the scrapes, splinters and bruises reminded Tenten that he had risked himself for her, multiple times. Those scrapes, splinters and bruises should be present on her body, not his. Yet Sasuke didn't seem to mind. Maybe it was because this time she was taking care of his wounds. The deeper she fell into thought, the more she began to ponder if Sasuke himself may have emotional wounds from his past. Tenten looked away and furrowed her brow. _How selfish._ She had been so upset about Neji, and focused on her own personal healing, she never once really thought about Sasuke's feelings.

"Tenten?" Sasuke asked, concerned as he reached out to her before wincing realizing that was his bad hand. He had taken the brunt of the blow on his right wrist, blocking anything from harming Tenten, his face or vital organs.

"Oh!" Tenten exclaimed, snapping out of her daze. "You're wrist... We should..." Before she could finish, she found herself locked in a cold, red gaze. She froze, eyes large with fear and curiosity as Sasuke studied her face, his eyes fixated and refusing to move.

"Wthat was that?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Tenten was having a difficult time speaking to him as his Sharingan eyes stared at her, she felt a bit scrutinized. "I.. Why Sharingan?" She whispered.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sasuke said, realizing how intimidating he must have seemed staring at her like that, but as she looked away, Sasuke swore he heard something outside, near her door, which put him on defense right away.

"You heard something too?" Tenten asked as Sasuke's eyes faded back to black and his head tilted to the side as if trying to hear something.

Sasuke nodded and slowly stood up, took her hands and stood her up as well. He recognized the approaching chakra.

"I'm sure it's fine." Tenten said.

"Let's go." Sasuke said, briskly.

"What? No, we have to make sure you're okay..." Tenten plead.

"We don't have time." Sasuke replied. Realizing Tenten was still waiting for an explanation, Sasuke decided to take initiative and pick her up, despite the fact that his wrist was throbbing. Sasuke rushed out the front door with the Konoichi in his arms. For one short instant, Sasuke caught a reflection of light the corner of his eye as he rushed from her home. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, momentum flinging his raven hair wildly, and there he stood. Kabuto. Sasuke didn't stop running, in fact, he accelerated a few feet. Looking over his shoulder again, Sasuke realized that Kabuto was not pursuing them further when he disappeared in a puff of smoke from their sight.  
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Upon entering the Uchiha complex, Sasuke slowly let Tenten down, releasing his tight death grip on the girl. Tenten looked around and tried to take in the area the best she could, despite the increasing darkness that was now falling upon them. Sasuke too, looked around. A small pit made its way to Sasuke stomach as he anticipated what Tenten would think when she saw his home. Despite all the scrubbing, the blood stains just would not come up off the floor in his parents room. He supposed that maybe he didn't have to show her that room in particular. Then he thought about Kabuto. He had actually shown his face. He knew she hadn't seen him. She didn't need to, all he knew was that he saw him, and he was going to protect Tenten no matter what. This was typical behavior for Kabuto. It was an intentional warning, Sasuke knew. Sasuke's main goal now was to keep her safe, but find a way to eliminate Kabuto simultaneously.

Tenten remained quiet as they walked onto the porch of what she assumed to be Sasuke's childhood home. The place looked quite nice, a perfect place to raise a family. Tenten knew that Sasuke's parents were murdered in this house, but when she had seen Itachi before Sasuke Chonin exams, it seemed as though he genuinely cared for Sasuke. _Don't break his heart... _Those words rang through her head clearly as she recollected on the past. _I won't. _She thought to herself as Sasuke opened the front door. Sasuke gestured for Tenten to enter first and she obliged.

Stepping inside, Tenten took her shoes off and nearly set them on the mat where they belonged. A few other pairs were nearly sitting on the may as well, most likely his parents'. Sasuke entered after her and locked the door behind them. He kicked off his shoes and threw them carelessly on the mat. Although Sasuke was fully aware that his mother was no more, he always greewhether when he came home, but he caught himself before he spoke, not wanting to scare Tenten. He knew it was weird, but he couldn't help it.

Tenten studied Sasuke as they stood in the walkway. She was unsure why the rushed here so hastily and he seemed to be in deep thought about she could ask anything, Sasuke turned to her and looked down at we concerned and weary face. "We'll be safe here for the night." He said with a light pat on Tenten's bun laden head.

"What happened? Did you see something?" Tenten asked worriedly as she looked up at him.

Sasuke didn't want to worry her, so part of him almost didn't want to tell her, but he knew she was strong and that it shouldn't scare her too much.. He hoped anyway. "Yes." He replied. "Kabuto was trying to break into your house."

Tenten glared and clenched her fists. Maybe Sasuke's dream about Kabutp kidnaping and raping her was more than a dream. Regardless, Tenten was angry and concerned at the same time. She wasn't concerned for her own safety, she knew Sasuke was determined to so anything in his power to make sure that dream of his never came to fruition. It must be a heavy burden for him to carry as she felt guilty. She began to feel as though she needed to repay him for all the times he had come to her rescue.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, noticing the angry look upon her face.

"Huh? Oh.. Yeah I'm fine. Let go finish taking care of your wrist, okay?" She asked with wide and concerned eyes, doing her best not to show him the anger and confusion she was feeling within.

Tenten couldn't fool Sasuke, he knew something was wrong. Maybe it was just her way of coping with things, to be angry. If that were the case, the two had a large similarity. Sasuke nodded to her. "Can I show you around first?" He asked curiously with a smirk, hoping to lighten her spirits a bit.

"Sure." Tenten said with a smile of her own. Sasuke took her right hand in his left and began to give her the tour. As Tenten studied the inside of the home, she felt warm and welcomed, despite the terrible things that had occurred within. It was probably just because Sasuke was leading her and sharing memories as he did. He shared how his mother made the best rice balls, and always smelled of fresh ginger. He shared how Itachi had taken him to the Sakura festival years and years ago and that he kept all the items they bought that day. He shared how he always wanted to be as strong as Itachi, even before the incident. He was opening up to Tenten more and more as they walked through the house, and Tenten was surprised at his sensitivity and soft heartedness.

When they walked into Sasuke's old room, Tenten smiled. She remembered how cute Sasuke was when he was little. His bed was small, but the room was tidy. She imagined a small little Sasuke with a teddy bear sleeping soundly in that bed.

"What?" Sasuke asked with a smirk, noticing her warm smile.

"I'm just imagining how cute you must've been sleeping in that bed." Tenten replied with a blush.

"Cute, huh?" Sasuke teased as he leaned his face close to hers. Tenten giggled and pushed on his chest.

"Yeah, cute then. Don't get too excited." She teased back.

Sasuke pouted and pulled away from her. "Cute then?" Sasuke asked, still pouting.

Tenten walked inside his room and looked around with another smile. "Yes, then." she jabbed. She knew he was fishing for more, and more is what she was planning on giving him. "You're sexy now." She said, plainly with a faint blush.

Sasuke blinked a few times, completely taken back by her statement. Of course it pleased him to hear her say such a thing, but surprised him none the less. Sasuke wasn't sure how to reply, he thought she was sexy also, but he wasn't sure if she would take that very well, so he decided he would show her. Sasuke walked into the room with her, cheeks pink and face determined. Once standing close and face to face, Sasuke reached up and untied her hair, causing it to fall gracefully around her in thick chocolate waves. He could care less about the pain he was experiencing in his wrist. She looked beautiful.

Tenten's heart was pounding as she gazed into his eyes. She was unsure of his intentions. Before she knew it, she found herself in a gentle embrace in his arms, her face pressed against his bare chest. She closed her eyes, comforted by the strong an steady sound of his beating heart. Goosebumps covered her body when he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Tenten." He whispered in her ear. Tenten shuttered and smiled. "You are beautiful." He whispered again.

Tenten blushed madly, as much as she hated to blush, or be seen blushing. Neji ha never acknowledged her looks or skills. Pride she supposed. It was new to her to e experiencing this. Tenten pulled her face away from his chest and looked up at him, hoping to goodness her face didn't resemble Hinata's. without anymore thought, Tenten placed a kiss gently on Sasuke's lips and closed her eyes slowly. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back softly. Tenten placed her hands on his chest and felt his cool, bare skin before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him more aggressively.

Sasuke was blushing brightly, thankful she couldn't see with her eyes closed. He wasn't sure where these actions were leading them, and part of him hoped it wouldn't be in this house, for it already carried so many mixed emotions and memories, but he supposed if it did, it would make the harder memories, easier to deal with. Suddenly, a moan escaped his lips and his eyes opened for a minute when he felt Tenten tugging on his hair. Instinct took over for him, he reached up to her blouse and began to unbutton the top left corner of it. Tenten blushed even more and moved her hands on top of his to assist him. Once her shirt was open, Sasuke gently slid it off her shoulders, causing it to fall to the ground with a graceful pillowing sound

_"Take into consideration, Tenten, that the Uchiha clan will need rebuilt somehow."_ Tenten recalled Tsunade's statement when she was recovering from her battle with Sasuke. She blushes and her heart pitter pattered. _Why am I remembering that now?! _She thought, almost panicking. She began to consider if Sasuke's actions had been solely to rebuild his clan. _No. _Tenten thought to herself. Earlier that day, when Tsunade made that statement, she also asked Tenten if she trusted Sasuke. Her answer then was yes, and her answer today wouldn't change. She did trust him, she knew she did. She did, however, wonder why on earth that thought came to mind. She shrugged it off when she felt Sasuke's hands running down her back and stop at her bra strap. She gulped for a minute Unsure if she was ready for this to continue, but when he moved his kisses to her neck, she shivered and pulled his hair more.

Sasuke could tell Tenten was a bit hesitant, so he moved passed her bra without taking it off, and continued rubbing her back. Tenten sighed softly and relaxed in his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. "What about your wrist?" She whispered.

"It can wait." he whispered back. "Are you uncomfortable?" He inquired, a bit concerned.

"No." She said shaking her head and looking up at him. When she did, Sasuke felt a bit guilty. He didn't want to push her, although she had kissed him first. As he examined her face, he could tell she was tired, most likely from all the training she had done earlier in the day.

"Maybe we should get some rest?" Sasuke suggested as he placed a gentle palm on the side of her face. Tenten's hands moved from his hair down to his shoulders and rested there. Maybe Sasuke was right, things were moving a bit suddenly, but Tenten didn't really mind. She truly felt for him, genuine feelings. After being with Sasuke, she began to question what she had with Neji, or if it really was anything at all. Regardless, fate was something that she really didn't understand. Finally, she gave him a nod and looked around, wondering where they would sleep. As if Sasuke knew what Tenten was wondering, he spoke. "If you like, you can sleep in Itachi's room."

Tenten felt slightly uncomfortable sleeping in Itachi's room, although it was better than the small bed in Sasuke's room, and while giving the tour, Sasuke told her what happened in his parents room. "What about you?" Tenten asked curiously.

Sasuke hadn't thought about himself or where he would sleep until now. He reached up and scratched his head, blushing at the fact Tenten was still shirtless, her breasts perfectly supported by a white lacy bra. After a moment of subtle admiration, Sasuke spoke. "I can sleep on the couch." He replied.

"No." Tenten said firmly. "This is your house."

"And you are my guest." Sasuke replied, just as firmly.

"Then stay with me." Tenten said, bravely. It's not like they hadn't stayed together before, but back then their feelings were different and not yet developed.

"Is that what you want?" Sasuke asked in an almost whisper as he leaned in close to her again and smiling.

"Yes." Tenten answered confidently with a teasing smirk of her own.

Sasuke quieted an eyebrow, but Tenten nodded in assurance letting him know she was serious. Once Sasuke was sure, he picked up her shirt, threw it over his shoulder and took her by the hand, leading her into Itachi's room. Tenten admired how neat the room was, and she also admired the various weapons along the walls. She was a little embarrassed that she was walking around without a shirt, but Sasuke seemed to enjoy holding onto her shirt so she didn't say anything.

Itachi's bed was large and plush with a black down comforter laying perfectly atop. Tenten was curious if it was left this way, or if it was Sasuke's doing, how perfectly the bed was made. "Is this where you've been sleeping?" Tenten asked as she walked into the room with him. Sasuke closed the door behind them and then plopped himself onto the bed with a 'woosh' and his hair flew back.

"Yes." Sasuke replied as he patted the bed, as a gesture for her to join him.

"So you made this bed all nice, huh?" Tenten asked as she slowly climbed onto the bed by his side.

"Well... Yeah." He said, a little embarrassed.

Tenten giggled and then snatched her shirt back from him.

"Aw." Sasuke pouted aloud.

Tenten blushed, covering her chest with the shirt. "What, you didn't want me to wear it?"

"No I was gonna wear it." Sasuke answered looking at her seriously.

Tenten couldn't tell if he was serious or not, he sure acted like he was. Confused, she handed him the shirt slowly. Sasuke giggled and draped it around her shoulders._ So he was kidding_. Tenten thought to herself. She appreciated his humor, to her it meant that he was opening up more and more to her. The Sasuke she knew before she _knew_ him, was cold, but sometimes sarcastic. This one was warm, and fun, yet still Sasuke all the same. Of all the pretty girls who were crazy about Sasuke, Tenten felt lucky that he was spending all of his time with her. "You're silly." She whispered.

"Only with you." Sasuke said with a chuckle as he scooted around her and lay down on the side nearest to the wall. Tenten crawled next to him and got under the covers, pulling the blankets uncomfortably since Sasuke was still on top. Sasuke smiled and crawled under with her. Tenten's stomach tingled with nervous butterflies as she felt Sasuke's arms around her. She scooted close and closed her eyes. Sasuke smiles and then heaved a sigh and rested his chin on her head as she snuggled his chest. "Goodnight, Tenten." Sasuke whispered.

"Night, Sasuke."


	15. Chapter 15

**Mina-San :) we are at chapter 15! Woohoo! Thank you all for your support! I appreciate it. Please continue to review and read! I love hearing what you have to say about my story. I love this pairing quite a lot! You all rock! Thank you! I really appreciate it when you review! If you review, it makes me post faster! I read the reviews you have about crying over Neji! I had the same reaction, honestly (although I have always preferred sasuten) I was really sad. I have mad respect for Neji. warning: mature chapter**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND NEVER WILL!**

_**Chapter 15: related**_

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In the early hours of the morning, Tenten began to wake slowly. As she opened her eyes, she remembered where she was. Upon seeing Sasuke, her heart skipped a few beats. His black hair was slung across his pale face, his arms were both wrapped around Tenten tighty and his bare chest moved up and down slowly as he breathed. A soft smile graced Tenten's face when she saw how relaxed Sasuke was. He looked so peacful in his sleep. It was something Tenten hadn't seen yet. Probably because Sasuke was so busy fighting to make sure Tenten was okay, he never really had a chance to rest. All this time, Sasuke was doing everything he could in order to help Tenten, and make sure she was happy. Sasuke Uchiha. The ex criminal. The more Tenten thought about it, the more amazed she became. _How lucky am I, ne? _Tenten thought with a smile as she gently ran her fingertips up and down Sasuke's bare chest.

Sasuke started to stir as he felt something tickle his chest, he grumbled a bit and pulled Tenten closer to him as if she were a teddy bear. Tenten squealed quietly as Sasuke squeezed her, Causing Sasuke's dark eyes to open slowly. "Hmmmm" He moaned upon seeing the beautiful Konoichi. Her dark hair messily strewn about her bare shoulders and chest only allowing a few patches of white lace to peak through. Even though she wasn't done up, she still looked beautiful. Sasuke pushed the crazy strands of black hair from his face to get a better look at the girl he was so fond of. "Good morning, Tenten." Sasuke said in a sultry tone.

Although Tenten wasn't one of those crazy Sasuke fan girls, everything within her was squealing like an excited little girl when her crush said hi to her. "G..good morning." Tenten said with a shy smile. Sasuke smiled at her and then released his grip on her and proceeded to stretch. Tenten giggled at his action, it reminded her of an adorable kitty who just woke up from a nap. Sasuke looked at Tenten curiously as if he had just heard what she was thinking, maybe it was the expression on her face.

"What?" Sasuke smirked.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Suuure." Sasuke replied.

Tenten had no words, she merely scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out at him. Sasuke then giggled in a low pitch and then stood. "We have to go to Tsunade's today." He said looking over his shoulder at the brunette beauty.

"What for?" Tenten asked, a little concerned as she sat up. She held the blankets over her chest, blushing a little.

"She wants to find out if for some reason you really are related to Naruto." Sasuke replied as he walked to Itachi's closet in search of clean clothes.

"Oh that's right. In your dream Naruto's mother and my mother were sisters." Tenten pondered. "Hey, Sasuke?" She asked.

"Yes, Tenten?"Sasuke said as he turned back to look at Tenten. He could tell by the look on her face that something was troubling her.

"If I'm related to Naruto, will you still like me?" She asked a little concerned. She knew it was a very juvenile question to ask, especially someone like Sasuke who had been risking everything to protect her, but she also knew how much Sasuke claimed to hate Naruto.

"Mm... No." Sasuke replied coldly with a blank and emotionless face.

Tenten's eyes widened and she clenched the blankets around her tightly causing her knuckles to go white.

"I'll still _love_ you." He finished with a soft smile. "Ah!" He yelped as a pillow was thrown at high speed towards his face. He barely dodged it as it crashed into the dresser behind him.

True, Tenten was impressed with his wit, but it had also scared her a lot. Hearing him say he _loved_ her, made the anxiety worth it though. However, he deserved to be hit in the face with a pillow. Tenten smiled to herself as she thought about his words. "I guess that's okay then." She replied as she saw the stern yet playful look upon Sasuke's face.

"Good." Sasuke said. He didn't need to hear her say it back, after all, she told him earlier that she was falling in love with him, and he knew after Neji, that it was a very big thing for her to say. So he wouldn't push. She would come out and say it on he own time, but it wasn't going to stop him from saying it. "Alright, you better get ready, we need to be there soon."

"Um.. Can I get a shower?" Tenten asked as she slowly got out of the bed. Sasuke stood and admired her for a moment. She was absolutely stunning. Her torso was well toned from endless hours of training. A few scars traced her shoulders and upper arms, the typical canvas of a fearless Konoichi.

"Mmm." He said, without thinking.

"Sasuke!" Tenten blushed furiously.

"Hehe... Sorry" he scratched the back of his head nervously. " Uhm yes you can get a shower. I'll show you." Sasuke said, Taking Tenten's hand and leading her down the hall into the bathroom. It was rather clean and tidy Tenten noticed. She never really pegged Sasuke to be so orderly, it was just another similarity he and Neji shared. "Sorry that everything is guy stuff.. Like guy soap and shampoo..." He said almost pouting.

"No that's okay. I'll just smell like you." she smiled.

For some reason, that last statement made Sasuke blush a bit. He shook it off though and showed her how to turn on the shower, got her a fresh towel and smiled. "Okay, let me know if you need anything."

Tenten gave him a quick peck and nodded. "Thank you, Sasuke." Tenten blushed.

"Mm hmm." Sasuke replied before exiting and closing the door behind him. Quickly, Tenten stripped down and started the water. Once it was warm she hopped in and relaxed as the water pounded against her skin. As she stood in the warmth, she thought for a split second she heard someone say: psst. She blinked a few times, rubbed her head and shrugged_. Nah, I'm hearing things. _She thought to herself as she began to lather her hair with shampoo.

"Hey!" Came a whisper from the other side of the curtain.

Tenten jumped and shrieked. This time she _knew _she heard something. Slowly, Tenten peaked her soapy head out from behind the curtain and gasped when she saw Itachi standing there with his hand over his eyes as he leaned against the bathroom sink which was parallel to the shower. "I..Itachi?!" She asked confused.

"Hey Chibi-Chan." he said, eyes still covered. "Keep it down, you don't wanna alarm Sasuke."

"Are you sure about that? What are you here for? " Tenten asked.

"I need to tell you something important. It's about Neji." Itachi replied calmly.

"What about Neji? Is there another note from him?" Asked Tenten, a little hesitant.

"Not exactly. You see... Neji is.."

Before Itachi could finish, Sasuke opened the door and came inside the bathroom. "Tenten, are you okay? Ah! Itachi?!" Sasuke asked, Surprised but pleased at the same time.

"I have to go now, Ni-san, we will talk soon. Sorry I couldn't continue this, Chibi-chan." Itachi said before disappearing.

"Wait!" Tenten plead, but it was too late. Tenten then looked down and receded back into the shower.

"What did he have to say?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Well.." Tenten paused, hesitant on whether or not she should tell Sasuke. She didn't want to alert him by bringing up Neji, buts he didn't want to be dishonest with Sasuke either. "He said he had some kind of news about Neji."

Sasuke went quiet for a moment, unsure how to handle the news. "Ah."

Tenten knew immediately Sasuke was a bit upset, even though Neji was gone and a thing of the past. The last thing Tenten wanted was for Sasuke to feel like he wa competing with Neji. "Sasuke." Tenten said, poking her head out of the shower. Sasuke turned to Tenten. The look on his face was a bit dejected. "Just to let you know," she paused and a soft smile fell upon her face. "I love you."

Sasuke's dark eyes widened, and a faint red tinge could be seen upon his cheeks. Sasuke then sighed, relieved and smiled. "I love you too." His eyes widened again when he saw Tenten's arm extend out to him. He looked at her confused. Tenten reached out her arm again and Sasuke took her hand. Tenten then yanked him to her and kissed him softly, while still managing to keep her body concealed from him. For a moment anyway, until she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her wet, bare chest against his. Sasuke gasped a little against her lips, surprised by her action. Slowly, he ran his hands up and down her bare back, causing her to shiver and pull him toward her. Sasuke could only lean forward so much before falling into the shower with her. He wasn't sure what she wanted, and he didn't want to overstep any boundaries, but she only kept tugging at him. Finally, Sasuke obliged and got into the shower with her. Tenten pulled away from the kiss and was blushing furiously. Sasuke too, was blushing quite brightly as the warm water fell upon the two.

Tenten really wasn't sure why she had dragged him into the water, but something inside her took over, desire if you will. And she also wanted to show him with all of her being that she was committed to Sasuke . She wasn't sure where to go from here, or how to proceed with the action, but she had hoped that Sasuke would take over. She didn't know if he too, was a virgin like herself, she never bothered to ask. She knew it could be either way with him.

Sasuke, like Tenten hoped, did take over. Slowly, Sasuke pushed Tenten up against the shower wall and kissed her softly, while gently running his hands up her sides and to her breasts. Tenten blushed and squeaked quietly when he did this, and soon he moved his kisses to her neck and softly bit her. Tenten's hands flew into his hair and tugged hard, causing Sasuke to moan and bite her harder. Tenten's heart began to pound harder and faster than ever as Sasuke's hands traveled downward. She let out a gasp as his fingers found their way between her legs.

"Hmm." Sasuke said with a smirk. Before things could go further, they were interrupted by the sound of someone furiously pounding on the front door, although faintly heard over the shower water. "Dammit." Sasuke sighed.

"It..it's okay." Tenten said, catching her breath.

"I'm sorry, Tenten." Sasuke sighed as he ran his fingers through her hair. He then placed a firm kiss on her lips before exiting the bathroom to get the door. Tenten sank onto the bathtub floor and sighed. Part of her was happy, and the other part was scared out of her mind. The way he made her feel when he touched her sent what felt like fire through her veins. Yet she had never experienced it, so it frightened her a little. Maybe she wasn't ready yet, she wasn't sure. She just decided to relax and let things happen when they were supposed to happen.

Sasuke threw a towel around his waist, hoping nothing could be seen, and rushed to the front door and opened it. He sighed upon seeing who was the cause of the interruption. There stood Naruto, who was all smiles and ready to go.

"Hey man! You two ready?" Naruto chimed.

"Almost. How did you know about this? And how did you know Tenten was here?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"Tsunade told me, and when I went to Tenten's house, no one was there, so I figured she had to be with you." Naruto replied with a smile.

"Yes, she is here. We're getting ready so give us a few minutes." Sasuke said as he began to close the door.

"Well can I at least come in?! It's kinda creepy out here!" Naruto yelled.

"No. It's creepier in here so it's better if you wait." Sasuke said, slamming the door in Naruto's face. Quickly, he rushed to Itachi's room and got dressed. He threw on a pair of gray pants and a black t-shirt with the Uchiha emblem. A few moments later he heard footstep in the doorway of the room and there stood Tenten, wrapped in a towel and blushing.

"Hi." She managed to say. "Who was at the door?" She asked.

"Naruto." Sasuke replied, annoyed even to say his name.

"Oh! That means I have to hurry!" Tenten said frantically. Quickly, she picked up her clothes and began to dress, Sasuke turned away thoughtfully as she did so. Moments later she was dressed and she began putting her hair up into her usual buns.

Sasuke turned slowly to see if he was decent. When he saw her fixing her hair he went to her and grabbed her hands. "No. I like it down." he smiled softly. Tenten blushed.

"Well, too bad. That's only for you to see. I like my hair up." She replied stubbornly as she pulled her hands away and continued fixing her hair. Sasuke pouted but decided not to protest. Finally, Tenten was ready and she and Sasuke met Naruto outside.

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Upon entering Tsunade's office, Tenten felt a little nervous. She felt as though Tsunade knew what had happened just 20 minutes ago in that shower, although she would probably be happy seeing as how she hinted at Tenten that she needed to have children with the Uchiha. Tenten sat in front of Taunade's desk between Sasuke and Naruto as she awaited Tsunade and Shizune to return with the equipment to draw blood. Sasuke and Naruto both could see that something was troubling Tenten. Sasuke thought it was his fault for going too far with her, and Naruto thought maybe Tenten had a fear of needles.

"What's wrong?" Naruto and Sasuke asked Tenten Simultaneously, followed by glares to each other.

Tenten smiled and immediately perked up after this. For two boys who hated each other, they sure were intuitive, and similar in their differences. "I'm okay, thank you both."

Before Naruto or Sasuke could say more, Taunade and Shizune entered the room.

"Are we ready?" Tsunade asked loudly. Tenten gave a nod while Naruto shouted: Believe it! Shizune went to Naruto's side and had him take off his jacket. She then put a band around his forearm and had him flex. Sasuke rolled his eyes._ My arms are buffer. _He thought to himself, a little jealous. Tsunade did the same with Tenten and Sasuke turned to look at her. Tenten seemed to be quite calm about the situation as Taunade gently rolled Tenten's sleeve up. After the band was around her bicep, Tenten flexed, allowing Taunade to find a vein and accurately draw blood. Once her vial was full, Taunade retracted the needle and cleaned the small prick point on Tenten's skin.

Once Tsunade and Shizune collected their samples, the exited the room to run the tests.

"Well, now we wait, huh?" Naruto said, breaking the silence between the three.

"Duh, dumbass." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah shut the hell up, mopy." Naruto retorted.

Tenten rolled her eyes too as the two bit back and forth at each other. She really didn't get why they had such a bad rivalry. It was just like Ino and Sakura. Only their disagreements were over Sasuke, which now turned Sakura into Tenten's rival. Up until now, Tenten never had a rival. Sure, Temari kicked her ass a few years back, but Tenten never resented her for it. Back then, she was the stronger Konoichi. Now, if they fought, Tenten would win for sure. She did her best to be understanding about their rivalry, but because Naruto could potentially be her only blood relative, shewould hope Sasuke And he could try to get along. Tenten remained quiet during the waiting period. Anxiously anticipating what the results may say.

After about an hour of analysis, Taunade and Shizune returned into the office and closed the door behind them. Tsunade walked herself around her desk and sat down. She folded her hands under her chin as smiled at the three. "Well, Naruto, Tenten.." She paused.

Tenten sat on the edge of her seat as she awaited the news. Part of her felt like she was going to say the weren't related, just by the smug look upon Taunades face. It seemed as though she was teasing about the joy she had. "Yes?" Tenten asked.

"Sasuke's a damn psychic. Your DNA matches." Tsunade finished.

"Are you serious?!" Naruto exclaimed as he stood. This was huge. Sure, he considered Iruka and Kakashi his family, but now he had a _real _blood related family member. one that was living. Quickly, Naruto rushed to Tenten and pulled her out of her seat and into a hug. "Tenten. I'm so happy." He said as he held her tightly. "We're related."


	16. Chapter 16

**Mina-San... I am completely overwhelmed with all of your reviews! Wooh! I'm so impressed with how quickly everyone responded, I'm even more thrilled to know that you all enjoyed it! I'm so thankful for all of you and your undying support! You make me so happy! One of you even said this was your favorite fanfic! That means SO MUCH to me. I read lots of fanfics and I know for certain there are some fantastic authors out there that I don't even come close to in caliber. Anyway, enough blabbing! As promised, when you review, it makes me post faster! Here ya go! **

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO AND I NEVER WILL!**

_**Chapter 16-* the proposal**_

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Naruto held onto Tenten for a while. His heart was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. Here he was, holding a living and breathing part of his family. She was a rather close relative, close enough to consider her a sibling in his opinion. He closed his blue eyes happily as Tenten reciprocated the hug.

Tenten too, was quite happy. Naruto, although still a huge goof ball, obnoxious, loud mouthed brat, was really doing Konoha proud. Tenten knew without a doubt that he would fulfill his dream of becoming the Hokage, and now that she knew they were related, it made her even more proud. It felt quite assuring and refreshing to have a family member. Sure it was weird that they knew each other for so long, never knowing the truth about their identities as family. Part of her felt as though it just made this moment even sweeter.

After a moments time, Naruto and Tenten released each other and turned back to Tsunade, who seemed to be pondering something rather intently. Tenten looked to Sasuke curiously. He too, looked at her, then to Naruto, then back to her. He was trying now, not to see any similarities. Although they didn't look exactly alike, Sasuke could definitely tell they were related. Both were very strong willed, both determined and strong fighters. Both spoke their minds when they felt like it, Tenten usually using a little more tact than Naruto. Still with all of the facts, similarities and hype, Sasuke couldn't really believe it. A large part of him wanted it not to be true. The fact that it was true, told Sasuke that his dream was a reality, and now he had to wait for the nightmare. Aside from that, he knew he would most likely be seeing a lot more of Naruto, which made him rather agitated. But if it made Tenten happy... He'd try not to strangle him to death.

"To me, it seems as though Sasuke's premonitions are right on par. You two are indeed related. There is no way for me to tell for certain if it is by way of what he stated. Your mothers, however..." Tsunade paused. "With the information we have gathered on Zabuza Momochi, the alleged father in Sasuke's premonition, we can presume that Tenten takes on a lot of his traits. Accuracy and weapons specializing, I want you to experiment with water techniques and see what you can come up with. There must be a lot of hidden talent in you Tenten." Tsunade expounded.

"Awesome!" Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke watched, almost feeling a bit left out.

Tenten blushed happily. "I will do my best." She said with a bow.

"Good! Alright you three, out of my office, I have things to do." Tsunade said with a wink and a shooing motion.

"Yes ma'am." The three said in unison as they turned to exit.

"Oh yes, don't forget the Sakura festival tomorrow." Tsunade reminded.

_Oh yeah... I almost forgot._ Tenten thought._ That would be perfect to take Sasuke to. _She smiled.

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Tenten, Sasuke and Naruto left Taunade's and began making their way toward the Ramen shop, for Naruto it was out of habit. Naruto sighed a happy sigh and put his hands behind his head as he strode down the streets. "So Sasuke, you're awfully quiet. What do you think about all of this?" Naruto asked as he glanced over at Sasuke, who seemed to be zoning out a little.

_What do you think ,dumb ass_? Was what Sasuke's first reaction was to say. However, Tenten was present and she seemed rather happy about it, so he decided not to be a jerk and let her enjoy the news. "Good for..." He started before Naruto interrupted.

"Speaking of quiet... Uh.. Tenten.. Can I ask a favor? I know we just found out we're related and, but.." He said, looking at her with big blue eyes. Tenten looked at Sasuke, who seemed quite aggravated that Naruto cut him off, then back to Naruto. Tenten merely nodded to him and tried to calm him.

"Sure, Naruto. What is it?" She replied, looking to Naruto.

"Well... tonight..I'm..." Naruto sighed. Tenten could tell whatever it was he had to say, must have been difficult. She didn't know if it was because of Sasuke's presence or what the reason was.

"Go on." She urged, longing to know what it was he needed her help for.

"I'm going to the Hyuga manor tonight, at Hinata's. I'm gonna ask Hiashi permission to marry Hinata. It would mean a lot to me if you would come with me. It's her birthday and she is having a party tonight with her family, and she invited me." Naruto explained a little nervously. It was a bit strange to see Naruto go from loud and hyper with an undeniable confidence, to almost as shy as Hinata herself.

Tenten's jaw dropped upon hearing the request. Naruto was going to propose to Hinata, and not only that, he wanted Tenten's support. This was a hard decision for her. The last time she was at the Hyuga manor, it was for Neji's funeral. Going back to that place was sure to bring up some memories. Tenten gulped and looked at Sasuke, who gave her a nod. "I.."

"You can bring Sasuke. Actually... If... Hinata and Hiashi say yes... I'd like Sasuke to be a part of the wedding." Naruto said, putting on a large smile.

Sasuke was still in shock from the news that Naruto was going to ask Hiashi Hyuga if he, not a Hyuga, could marry Hinata. It was crazy to him that Naruto would even _think_ of marriage. Now he was asking Sasuke, _Sasuke, _to be a part of it. "No." Sasuke said coldly.

Naruto's blue eyes widened and then narrowed. "That's fine, I'm sure that if I beg Tenten she'll make you. I don't care what you say Sasuke, I still consider you my best friend." Naruto said with his determined smile.

"Sasuke." Tenten said softly. "I want to go tonight to support Naruto. if you don't want to go you don't..."

"Im going." He interrupted. Although he didn't want to go,there was no way he would let her go alone. He wanted to keep her safe. Tenten was beginning to feel aggravated that the two continued to interrupt her. Deciding to be nice, Tenten shook her head. She knew that Sasuke and Naruto brought out the worst in each other, so she decided not to read into their rudeness too much.

"Alright. What time should Sasuke and I be there?" Tenten asked.

"Well, it starts at five, but I was kinda hoping for your advice on what to wear, and what to say." Naruto asked Tenten with puppy dog eyes.

"Ah you can figure that out yourself you dweeb." Sasuke grumbled.

"Come on, I'm asking Tenten, not you, you jerk." Naruto said with a glare.

_Oh boy_. Tenten thought. "I don't mind helping him out, Sasuke."

Admittedly, Sasuke found it refreshing that Tenten didn't side with Sasuke on every little thing, like Sakura would, just to impress him. But he was still rather annoyed because he would most likely be spending the entire day with the knucklehead. "Oh fine." Sasuke replied.

Tenten held back a giggle. Sasuke acted so different around Naruto than he did with her, but because she was involved with Naruto now, he was agreeing to put up with it.

"Alright!" Shouted Naruto excitedly.

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"You sure this looks okay?" Naruto asked nervously as he stood in front of a stand up mirror in Tenten's room. He was wearing a pair of light tan dress pants and a black button up dress shirt. He insisted he wear an orange tie, but Tenten vetoed that idea right away. Sasuke stood next to Naruto on his right side by the mirror.

"No, you still look like a dumbass." Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Sasuke, he does not." Tenten said, from Naruto's other side. "Let me see you." Tenten said, pressing on Naruto's shoulder to turn him. Naruto turned to face her and gave her a half smile. "Hmm..." She said looking him over. "Something's not right..." She said as she tapped her chin. "Ah!" Tenten exclaimed before promptly reaching up and untying Naruto's headband. Once it was off she handed it to him and smiled. "There."

Naruto rubbed his bare forehead and smiled. "Thank you, shimai!"

Tenten blushed at his remark. _Sister, huh_? She thought with a small smile. "You're welcome."

"So what are you gonna say to Hiashi." Sasuke asked out of curiosity, although truthfully it was out of amusement.

Naruto sighed and plopped himself onto Tenten's bed as if it were his own. "I'm just gonna go in there and be honest with him."

"Practice!" Tenten suggested. Of course she would be the one to suggest that he practice, Tenten and her entire team built their lives around and upon training and self improvement, which could only be achieved with practice and determination. Sasuke let out a chuckle.

"Well... That seems kinda weird, doesn't it?" Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head.

"No come on! If you aren't rehearsed, you might say something stupid. Now pretend Sasuke is Hiashi." Tenten scolded.

At first, Sasuke found it rather amusing that Tenten was forcing Naruto to rehearse, until she threw him into it. Sasuke pouted. "Do I have to?" He whined.

"Yes! This is important to Naruto!" Tenten said with fire in her eyes.

"Okay, okay!" Sasuke complied. Since he decided to help her, he wanted to make the situation as realistic as possible, and really give Naruto a hard time. He cleared his throat and then looked at Naruto sternly. "Now what is it you wanted to talk to me about, Uzumaki?"

Naruto sat up straight and looked Sasuke dead in the eye. Although he knew Sasuke was probably going to drill him, drag him through the mud and pick him apart, he appreciated Sasuke's effort to help. "Sir, I realize that I am not a Hyuga and..."

"No, you're not. What's your point?" Sasuke retorted quickly. Sure he knew he was being an ass, but he knew how to get Naruto fired up more than anyone, and this was exactly his intention.

Tenten shook her head, true Hiashi would be hard on him, but maybe not _this _hard.

"Well, my point is, that although I'm not a part of your clan, Hiashi's- your daughter means the world to me." Naruto said, standing.

"Mhm... So?" Sasuke said, crossing his arms.

"So, although it's against tradition, I'd like I ask your permission to marry Hinata."Naruto said with a gulp.

"No, is my answer. Unless you can give me three good and logical explanations as to why I should allow my precious Hinata, who is the upcoming head of the Hyuga clan, to go off and marry a ruffian like yourself?" Sasuke said, coldly.

It almost made Tenten cringe, hearing the way Sasuke was talking to Naruto, but Naruto seemed to be encouraged by it. Leave it to Naruto to take adversity and use it as fuel.

"One: I will treat her like the queen that she is, Two: I will protect her with my life and Three: I love her and she loves me. This isn't just about me. I know it sounds conceded, but she's crazy about me. If for some reason she found out you didn't want me in her life, it would crush her. And it would crush me too. I may be a knucklehead, dumbass, no good kid, but if there's one thing I know, it's that I love her. and I will go ahead and take the liberty of giving you just one more reason. Four: I'm gonna be Hokage one day, and you would have the honor of telling everyone that your daughter is married to the Hokage." Naruto hissed.

Sasuke's dark eyes widened. Naruto sure had one hell of an answer. "You don't need to worry, dumbass." Sasuke said relaxing his shoulders a bit.

"Wow." Tenten said with a smile. "You are gonna do just fine! Hiashi can't say no to that!"

Naruto heaved a relived sigh. "You think?"

"Yes." Sasuke answered.

"Go get em tiger! We'll see you there soon." Tenten said with a smile.

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Sasuke and Tenten arrived at the Hyuga manor about thirty minutes after five pm. Neither of them wanting to show up right at five. It appeared as though many other people from the village were there, not just the Hyuga family, which put them both at ease a bit more. Tenten had trouble deciding what to wear, she didn't have a whole lot of options, so she decided she would just wear nice black dress pants and a green Chinese style shirt. Of course she kept her hair up, but like Naruto, she left her headband at home. Sasuke did not feel the need to change, so he simply wore his gray pants and black shirt. When they arrived, Hinata quickly rushed up to greet them. She looked lovely. She was wearing a knee length lavender dress that gracefully hung off of one shoulder, with a white rose in her hair.

"Tenten!" She exclaimed quietly as she wrapped her arms around the girl. Tenten was a little surprised by this gesture, but she went ahead and hugged back.

"Happy birthday, Hinata." Tenten said with a smile.

"Oh thank you both so much for coming. That is very kind of you." Hinata said, withdrawing from Tenten. "Naruto tells me that you two are related. Cousins right?"

"Yes, we just found out today actually." Tenten said pointing to the small bruise on te inside of her arm.

"I'm so happy for you two." Hinata said with a smile. Sasuke watched the two in their exchange. It seemed to him that they got along quite well.

"Thank you, Hinata. You look beautiful tonight by the way. Oh!" Tenten said, remembering the small gift she and Sasuke had picked up on the way."It's from both of us." Tenten then handed Hinata a small red box.

Hinata's eyes lit up as she took the box. "Oh Tenten, Sasuke." She said as she opened the box. Inside was a beautiful decorative hair comb that had a sparking butterfly and dangling crystal flowers. "It's gorgeous." She whispered.

"I felt as though it suited you." Tenten giggled.

Hinata hugged her again tightly. "Thank you both." Hinata Quickly thanked them once more before rushing to greet more guests.

Tenten and Sasuke then walked about Hinata's home and visited with a few people, many of the Hyuga clan still offering Tenten their condolences for Neji's death. Their words stung on Tenten like a hot knife searing her skin. Looking around and seeing the family that one day would have been her own was a lot more difficult than Tenten had anticipated. Sasuke sensed her discomfort and linked hands with her to offer some sort of ease. He realized that the whole situation must be quite hard for Tenten.

After visiting with Shino for a few moments, Tenten and Sasuke were interrupted.

"Tenten." Came a familiar voice from behind. Tenten turned to face the speaker, and there stood Hiashi. He looked a bit flush, but his face was soft and kind.

"Captain." Came Tenten, out of habit. "I..I mean.."

"It's quite alight. Can you please come with me?" Hiashi replied.

"Oh." Tenten said looking to Sasuke, who was quite hesitant, but he still gave a nod. "Sure." She replied.

"Great. Follow me." He said, turning and walking toward his hallway. The crowd of guests parted like the Red Sea as he walked through, Tenten following closely behind. The two finally reached a secluded room which looked to be his office. Hiashi walked around to the front of his desk and opened a drawer.

"What is it you wanted to speak to me about." Tenten asked, a bit nervously.

Hiashi took out of his desk a small black velvet box. "This." He said handing her the box. Tenten took the box slowly and looked at him with wide and curious eyes. "Go ahead." He urged.

Tenten slowly opened the box, revealing a sparking diamond ring with three large stones. Her jaw dropped and her hands started shaking. "Wh...what's this?" She managed to ask.

"That was the ring Neji bought for you. It's yours." He replied as he walked up to her.

"I..." Tenten couldn't speak. Seeing the ring made everything come back, the sadness, the sorrow, the confusion. Before she knew it, salty tears were falling from her eyes and into the corners of her mouth. It was all just overwhelming for her. It wasn't that she regretted meeting Sasuke, she was quite grateful to him, and she was finding out that she was madly in love with him, but being here and seeing the ring made her miss her fallen team mate. Hiashi hadn't expected for her to react the way she was, and he wasn't exactly sure how to comfort her.

"Naruto asked me tonight for permission to marry Hinata." He said, changing the subject. Tenten wiped her tears and nodded.

"What was your response, if you don't mind me asking." Tenten replied, closing the ring box.

"I said yes. He gave me quite the speech." Hiashi said.

"You said yes?!" Tenten asked excitedly.

"I did. I want my daughter to be happy above all, however, he does not have a ring." Hiashi hinted.

The last thing Tenten wanted was to hang onto that ring, it just hurt too much to even look at. It was like agonizing beauty. "He can have this one." Tenten said with a bittersweet smile.

"You are a great friend." Hiashi smiled. "Just so you know, Tenten you are always welcome here."

"Thank you, captain. It means a lot to me." Tenten smiled happily. She was well pleased with the news that Hiashi had agreed to let Naruto and Hinata marry, it was quite surprising. Maybe one way or another, it was fate that Tenten's family and Neji's family would be brought together. In this case, with Naruto and Hinata. "I'm going to get this to Naruto." Tenten said with a smile.

"Thank you, Tenten." Hiashi said. Tenten then promptly rushed out of the office and began searching for Naruto. There seemed to be an awful lot of guests, Tenten thought that maybe Hiashi invited extra guests on a hunch that this would be happening tonight. _Finally. _Tenten spotted Naruto and Hinata holding hands and talking with Ino and Shikamaru, who seemed to be holding hands as well. Tenten quickly rushed to the group. "Hey guys." Tenten smiled. "Naruto, can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Shimai." Naruto smirked. The two walked outside for a moment and Tenten handed him the box. Naruto tried to get an explanation out of her, but she refused.

"Good luck boy, congrats." Is all she said before rushing back inside to find Sasuke. Her emotions were all over the place and all she wanted now was the reassurance she could find in him. Frantically, she searched around with no avail. Tenten continued looking for him, even as a loud announcement was made by Naruto.

"Attention, family and friends." He shouted. The whole crowd went quiet and turned toward Naruto who had his arm draped around Hinata.

_Where are you, Sasuke_? Tenten thought nervously to herself.

"Thank you all for coming tonight." Naruto continued.

Suddenly, Tenten felt a hand grab onto her wrist and yank her into an embrace from behind. "I'm right here, Tenten." Sasuke whispered softly in her ear. Immediately Tenten let out a sigh of relief. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes but she bit her lip and clasped onto Sasuke's hands that held her in front. He could sense that something was wrong, but he didn't want to push it so he held her close and rested his chin on her head as the listened to Naruto's announcement.

"As you all know, Hinata and I have been together for a while now, and she is absolutely amazing. I love her with all of my heart and she makes me want to be the best person I can be. For that reason, Hinata." Naruto said as he got down onto one knee. "Will you marry me?" He asked with wide eyes as he revealed to her the ring that Tenten gave him.

There was a pregnant pause in the air as Hinata stared in shock at Naruto and the ring. "Y..yes." She whispered, before promptly fainting to the ground. No one in the crowd was surprised by the faint, however they were surprised by the proposal.

"Let's go home, Sasuke." Tenten whispered as she tilted her head to catch a glimpse of him.

"You got it."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey readers! Hope you enjoyed last chapter! I'm still so happy and blown away by all of your reviews! You make me smile! I just appreciate everyone and all the support you've given me. Please continue to review! I absolutely love hearing all the great things you have to say! This is a long and weighty chapter, so get your reading glasses and ice cream :)**

_**Chapter 17- * The Sakura Festival**_

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"So what did Hiashi have to say?" Sasuke asked as he sat next to Tenten on the bed of their hotel room. Sasuke knew that they couldn't stay at either of their homes due to her stalker. So after grabbing clothes and food, they headed over to the hotel with haste.

Tenten looked at Sasuke and sighed. She really wasn't sure of if she should tell him or not. She didn't want him to hey upset. Bit Sasuke already knew the history between her and Neji, so she decided not to keep it from him. "Well, he told me Naruto have one hell of a speech." Tenten started as she began taking down her hair. "Then..." She paused as her hair fell around her. "He gave me something that Neji planned to give to me."

Sasuke watched her in admiration. He absolutely loved it when she took her hair down. Whenever Tenten mentioned Neji, yes it stung a bit. And Sasuke could tell that whatever it was must've weighed heavy on Tenten. "And what was it?" He asked, draping an arm around her. Tenten sighed and leaned into him.

"An engagement ring." She said as she looked up at him. She could see it in his face that it troubled him a bit, but she was surprised by a soft kiss on her forehead.

"It's okay, Tenten." He said quietly as his lips stayed close to her skin. He knew that she was probably experiencing some pain as the memories of the past resurfaced, so he took it upon himself to make sure she was alright and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you, Sasuke. I gave the ring to Naruto for Hinata, I just couldn't keep it." Tenten said, relieved that Sasuke was being such a comfort to her at this time.

"That was very kind of you." Sasuke whispered as he gently stroked her hair. "It's okay if you miss him, Tenten."

"Sasuke." Tenten said, pushing away from him in order to look him in the eye.

"Hm?" Sasuke replied, a bit confused.

"I do miss him, but not like you think I do. Because of you, I am beginning to understand what love really looks like, and I never truly had that with Neji like I do with you." Tenten explained with wide eyes. Immediately, Sasuke pulled her back into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Tenten. It was a stupid question for me to ask." Sasuke whispered. Pinned against his face, Tenten managed to mumble.

"No it wasn't, silly." came her muffled voice as she squeezed him.

"Come here." Sasuke growled as he pulled Tenten up over his lap then to the middle of the bed and pinned her there as he hovered over her. Tenten squeaked and blushed as she looked up at him. He looked magnificent, almost like a wolf who was about to devour his prey. He always managed to get Tenten's heart beating fast. Tenten reached up and gently touched his face and brushed some of his ebony hair away.

"You have cute ears." Tenten whispered.

Sasuke blushed a little at her statement. It was random and unexpected. Sasuke then smirked and decided to play along. "Well you have a cute nose." He said in a sultry tone a he gently kissed her nose. "And lips." He said, kissing her lips. "And face, and neck." He said placing a soft kiss upon her neck, causing her to shiver and blush quite brightly. She then grabbed onto his shirt and yanked him over to her. Sasuke then straddled her while continuing to kiss her neck gently up and down.

Slightly unsteady hands ran underneath Sasuke's shirt and touched his bare stomach and chest until her hands were on his shoulders until Sasuke sat up, pulled his shirt off and threw it to the ground. Tenten's hands found themselves back onto his bare chest, and her eyes found themselves admiring his pale skin and finely toned muscles. She knew exactly how much training it took to get a body like his, and it only made her desire him more.

Sasuke gave Tenten a soft smile as he rested his hands on her hips along the hem of her shirt. Tenten bit her lip and nodded a little and Sasuke pulled her shirt up and over her head, then throwing it to the ground next to his own. Tenten gave Sasuke a shy smile and Sasuke placed another soft kiss on her forehead and gently began running his hands up and down her sides causing goosebumps to appear all over her skin. Tenten, although nervous, felt as though she needed to show Sasuke just how much she cared for him. She then aggressively placed her lips against his and wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her nails into his back. Sasuke lifted her up a bit and pulled her upper body close to his and let out a quiet moan as his lips rested against hers.

Tenten frantically pulled at his hair and then scratched his back while biting his lower lip. Sasuke smiled against her lips and reached around her back and unhooked her bra with ease. "I love you." He whispered before laying her back down on the bed softly. Tenten then released the grip on Sasuke's waist with her legs and looked up at him with wide and sparking eyes.

"I love you too, Sasuke." She whispered back.

Sasuke smiled down at her and took in of her beauty. "Hmm." He said as he gently touched her cheek. "We should get some sleep." He said quietly.

Tenten pouted a bit but decided he was probably right and she gave him a nod. Kindly, Sasuke hooked her bra back on and rolled off of her, plopping himself by her side. Although Sauke wanted and disired Tenten, something was telling him that she just wasn't ready. And it was quite possible that he wasn't, but most importantly he wanted her to know he respected her and her body. Tenten turned and smiled over at him and turned to her side. She then put an arm around him and rested her head on his bare chest.

Sasuke let out a happy sigh and closed his eyes, and soon after, the two fell asleep.

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The next day, Tenten woke up quite early, around five AM, in hopes of sneaking out and going shopping. Today was the Sakura festival, in which most of the women, including Konoichi, wore traditional Yakutas. She also knew the vendors set up extra early so there was a good chance she could beg them to let her shop early too. She definitely wanted to impress Sasuke, and make sure that it was a great day for Sasuke. Sasuke seemed to cherish the memories that he had with Itachi at the festival, so she wanted to recreate them together. Quietly, and carefully Tenten snuck out of the bed as Sasuke slept peacefully. Her feet gently touched the floor and she grabbed her things and slowly walked toward the bathroom, and as she did, the loudest creaking sound came from the floor and Tenten turned quickly to look at Sasuke to see if he woke.

"Hm?" Sasuke moaned.

"Im just gonna get a shower." She whispered, praying Sasuke wouldn't question it.

"Mmhmm.." He mumbled sleepily as he turned to his side and snuggled into the blankets. Tenten let out a huge and silent sigh of relief and rushed into the bathroom closing and locking the door behind her. Quickly she opened the bathroom window and peered out, it wasn't too far from the ground, she knew she could make it down with ease.

A large smile spread across her face and she quickly dressed. Tenten then created a clone of herself, placed it I'm the shower and started the water. "Be good." She whispered. _Alright here we go_. Tenten then hopped out the window and headed toward the main strip of shops in the middle of Konoha. When she reached the vendors, she smiled. She nailed it, they were all setting up for the big day. Tenten walked up to the first awning she saw and stopped. "Excuse me." Tenten said kindly to the elderly woman who was unpacking her merchandise.

"Hi!" The woman explained. "I'm really not open for business right now. Check back later."

"Well, I.. I was hoping you could sell me a Yakuta." Tenten plead with big brown eyes. "I'm willing to pay extra."

The woman looked at Tenten an hesitated for a moment. "Ah, alright." She said with a hearty laugh. "I've go the perfect one for you." She said, digging through her boxes until he pulled out a magnificent white Yakuta with black swirls with a black obi. Tenten's eyes lit up at the sight. _Sasuke will love it,_ she thought with a smille. "It's just your size." The woman said n

"How much?" Came a voice from behind Tenten. Tenten turned to look at the speaker and gasped. There behind her stood none other than Kabuto, Only he looked a bit different. He was dressed up in a white buttpn up shirt an black dress pants and his glasses were gone. His hair was much shorter and parted to the side and slicked back in a 50's style. Instantly, Tenten's heart started pounding and she was flooded with fear. She wasn't sure why he frightened her so much, and it didn't help that her chakra was lessened about 25 percent due to her clone back in the shower. Slowly, Tenten began to back away, the Yakuta didn't matter anymore.

"Ah, is this your special someone?" The elderly woman asked Tenten.

Before Tenten cloud answer the woman, Kabuto put an arm around Tenten's waist and pulled her to him. "Yes." He said with a devilish smile.

"That'll be $150, please." Said the woman. Kabuto then dug into his pocket and lay the money down, along with a few extra bills. Tenten pushed away from him angrily, But Kabuto merely swept her into his arms along with the Yakuta.

"Thank you!" The woman shouted as the two walked away.

"Have a wonderful day, ma'am!" Kabuto shouted back.

"Put me down!" Tenten Growled.

"I don't think so, Tenten." Kabuto said as he began walking outside of Konoha, with Tenten in his arms. Tenten then cocked her elbow back and slammed it hard into his chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stumble back and drop her. Seconds after that, several shurrikken flew from out of no where toward Kabuto, one lodging itself into his shoulder. "I'll be back for you." Kabuto groaned in pain before promptly disappearing, leaving Tenten and her Yakuta on the ground.

Quickly, Tenten stood and grabbed her dress. _Those__ shurrikken were not Sasuke's_. Tenten thought as she looked in the direction they flew from. As she looked, Tenten saw what looked to be an Anbu black ops with an owl mask hide behind a tree. Tenten walked briskly toward the tree and peaked around it, but no one was there.

"Go home." Came a voice from the branches of the tree.

Tenten pouted, annoyed that the Anbu had hidden them self, although she knew it was their job to keep their identities hidden. "Well..thank you!" She exclaimed before rushing back to the hotel. She knew she couldn't keep Sasuke waiting much longer.

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"So you mean to tell me, you've taken over captain Yamato's place in protecting Tenten?" Tsunade asked the mysterious Anbu who stood before her in her office.

"Yes." The Anbu with the black and red owl mask answered back firmly.

"And just who are you Tsunade asked, annoyed. It seemed to her that this man was beating around the bush or hiding something, but them he did the unthinkable. The Anbu removed his mask and threw it onto her desk. "Dear God." She exclaimedupon seeing his face.

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Tenten quickly snuck back into her hotel room bathroom and closed the window behind her. As soon as she was in, she heard Sasuke knocking on the door.

"Tenten, are you okay?" He asked, concerned. "You've been in there a while."

Tenten quickly hid her Yakuta under the sink cabinet. "Y..yes I'm fine." She said, frantically undressing and jumping in the shower with her clone. Her clone promptly disappeared and Tenten began washing her hair and body as quickly as she could.

"Okay." Sasuke replied, hesitantly. Something didn't se right to him. He had been knocking for a while and Tenten hadn't answered until now. He didn't want to push her, but he also wanted to find out what was up. Sasuke let out a sigh and made his way back to the bed and lay down.

A few moments later, Tenten emerged in a towel and gave Sasuke a nervous smile. She desperately wanted to tell Sasuke what happened, but she wanted to keep the Yakuta a secret. She felt a bit guilty because she left without Sasuke and his approval, and she knew now just how dangerous it was to be without him. She was very grateful to the Anbu who came to her rescue, and she knew it wouldn't be Lon until Kabuto resurfaced. Tenten resolved to tell Sasuke about it when the festival was over, she didn't want to ruin the day.

"You alright?" Sasuke asked, sensing the unease that Tenten was feeling.

"I'm fine!" Tenten said with a forced smile as she hoped onto the bed onto her knees. Sasuke sat up and quirked an eyebrow. He knew she was lying, but he didn't want to press the matter.

"Alright." he said smiling at her. "You look lovely." He said, gesturing to her towel. Tenten blushed and pushed him lightly.

"Oh don't tease." she giggled.

"I'm not." He insisted.

Tenten smirked and grabbed onto a nearby pillow and lightly smacked him in the face with it, causing his black hair to fall wildly out of place. "Hehehe." She giggles mischievously.

Sasuke growled playfully. "Oh you're goin down." He threatened.

Tenten squeaked and stood up on the bed, afraid of his retaliation. Sasuke then hopped off the bed , grabbed her legs and pulled them out from under her, causing her to plummet to the bed softly. She blushed wildly as Sasuke crawled on top of her and gripped the top of her towel. Tenten was unsure how the situation went from a pillow fight to this, regardless she liked it. It took the unease away right away, and she no longer thought of the incident with Kabuto early. Now it was just her and Sasuke.

Sasuke didn't know how the situation turned so drastically either, but seeing Tenten look so beautiful and seductive in her small white bathroom towel. Her tan skin glistening with fresh shower water, it made him ache with desire, and this time he didn't think he could stop. Tenten smiled up at Sasuke and gave him a nod.

Sasuke then slowly opened her towel and planted a soft kiss on her lips. .

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The time for the Sakura festival had finally arrived, Tenten and Sasuke had been promptly interrupted once more by housekeeping just when things began to get heated, which frustrated Sasuke, and caused Tenten to laugh. After Sasuke growled at the maid, Tenten got up from the bed and grabbed her towel. "I'm going to get ready for the festival. Wait here, okay?" She said as she gave Sasuke a quick hug.

"Alright." Sasuke sighed. He decided not to worry too much about the interruption, he knew there would be other times for them to express their passion through the physical, and it just wasn't time yet. Tenten let out a giggle and rushed into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. The incident with Kabuto was still lingering in the back of her mind, but she tried not to think about it. She wasn't as worried, knowing Sasuke was with her now. Quickly, Tenten took her Yakuta from it's hiding place and undressed. She then shook out the dress and slipped it on_. How the hell am I going to tie this? T_enten thought, frustrated as she chased the obi around her waist like a puppy chasing its tail. "Ah." She grunted, continuing to struggle. _Oh maybe I I tie it from the front and turn it around, if it looks bad Sasuke can fix it. _She thought as she turned the obi around to the front and began to tie the large bow. Although it was tight, she managed to turn the obi around to the back and she then straightened out the rest and looked in the mirror. _Woah_. She thought to herself. The Yakuta was a little shorter than she anticipated, at came just above her knees and it was a bit right fitting, but she liked the way it looked. She knew Sasuke would too. Quickly she parted her hair to the side and swept it into a low ponytail on the opposite side, allowing a cascade of ringlets to fall over one shoulder, and it was complete.

Once dressed, Tenten opened the bathroom door and peaked out. Sasuke was sitting on top of the desk of the room that was across from the bathroom door. He too, had changed. He was wearing what he wore the day they met. His white open long sleeved shirt, black tight fitting pants with a black waist guard around his hips, the only difference was he no longer wore a purple rope around it. his hands were covered in his half gloves and his sword lay gracefully against the desk next to him. It was enough to make any girl drool. "Hey." He said. "Are you dressed?" He asked.

Tenten nodded with a smile and slowl emerged from the bathroom. Upon seeing her in her Yakuta, Sasuke stood promptly and stared at her wide eyed. "Holy shit, Tenten." He whispered. The sight of her took his breath away. She almost looked like a bride, it made his heart stop for a moment.

Tenten heard his whisper and blushed. "Are you ready?" She asked with excited eyes. Sasuke nodded and strapped his sword to his back.

"Shall we?" He asked, extending his arm out to her. Tenten smiled and linked arms with him and the two were off.

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Tenten and Sasuke had been wandering Konoha all day, stoping at a few vendors and enjoying each other's company. Many of the crowd stopped to stare at them, for they made such a lovely couple. Most of the girls jealous that Tenten was the lucky girl who had Sasuke's heart, and she was quite proud of it. Night was approaching and the fireworks would be happening soon. Sakura petals flew all about as the warm summer breeze blew about. Tenten and Sasuke decided to head up the trail to the great stone faces.

"Hey guys!" Natuto shouted from behind as he and Hinata ran up to meet them. Sasuke and Tenten turned around to face them. They both were dressed quite nice and seemed to be glowing with joy.

"Hey you two." Tenten smiled, greeting her friends.

"She said yes!" Natuto said proudly as he grabbed Hinata's left hand and showed off her ring.

"Congrats, dweeb. Hinata, you sure you want to marry him?" Sasuke said, teasingly.

Hinata nodded rapidly and smiled. "I can't wait." She squealed.

"Ah Hinata, I'm so happy for you both." Tenten said, wrapping her arms around her.

Sasuke and Naruto looked at each other while the girls embraced. Naruto then raised his eyebrow and whispered to Sasuke. "When you gonna ask Tenten?"

Sasuke blushed and pushed Naruto away. "Shut up, dumbass. It's none I your business."

"What are you two fighting about now?" Tenten asked, letting go of Hinata.

"Nothjng!" Naruto and Sasuke said in unison.

"Well that's not suspicious at all." Hinata teased.

"Well, well, well, look who it is!" Came Sakura's voice. Soon after, Sakura and Ino walked up to the group. Both girls wearing log and traditional Yakutas. "If it isn't the wanna be, the traitor, the slut and the socially awkward one."

"Hey!" Naruto growled. All four of them glared angrily at Sakura, Sasuke especially who had his hand on his sword.

"I can't believe you decided to show your face here, Tenten. After all, rumor has it that you're pregnant. Slut." Sakura said, placing her hands on her hips.

"What?!" Tenten yelled. "That is not true!"

"Well, that's not what the rumors say." Sakura said, turning and walking away.

Both Naruto and Sasuke growled. "Get your ass back here!"

Tenten found it quite creepy how Sasuke and Naruto happened to do that twice now. She was also very agitated with Sakura, she wanted nothing more than to send a barrage of sharp an pointy weapons her way. Sakura turned back around upon hearing Sasuke and Naruto.

"See ya!" She yelled before turning back around and running. Naruto bolted for her, but Tenten grabbed his shoulders and stopped him.

"Don't waist your energy on her." Tenten said, although she was still upset by the remark.

"You want me to punch her, Tenten?" Hinata asked, kindly as she looked down and twiddled her thumbs.

"It's okay guys, thanks." Tenten said with a smile.

Sasuke merely stood, glaring at Sakura's form shrinking into the distance, his hand still tightly clutching his sword. Familiar and intoxicating feelings of hatred began to stir in his veins as he stood there.

"Hey, Sasuke? Snap out of it man." Naruto said, poking him in the shoulder.

"Huh?" Sasuke shook his head and gasped. "Sorry." He said. He then put an arm around Tenten. "You alright?"

"Yeah." She said, nodding and smiling.

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After watching the fireworks with Hinata and Naruto, Sasuke walked with Tenten back toward their hotel, carrying her piggyback style. He had thoroughly enjoyed his time with her, dispute seeing Naruto. He chuckled to himself as he thought of the way things had played out for them all. It was certainly not what he expected. Suddenly, breaking Sasuke from his thoughts, Tenten let out a shriek as a Kunai whizzed past them.

Sasuke gently set her down and stepped in front of her. "I knew it was too damn quiet out here for there not to be any trouble." He said as he clutched his sword. Moments later, Kabuto, as promised appeared before them.

"Hello, Sasuke. Tenten." Kabuto said with a nod.

"You stay behind me Tenten." Sasuke warned. "What the hell do you want, Kabuto?!"

"Oh, don't you already know?" Kabuto hissed.

Tenten didn't want to stand by and do nothing, it aggravated her that Sasuke didn't take into account her skills also. Bravely, she stepped out from behind him and stood next to Sasuke.

"Tenten!" Sasuke said, wide eyed. Kabuto simply smirked as if this was exactly what he had planned for.

Out of nowhere, a small Senbon laced with a purple liquid, plunged itself into Tenten's shoulder and she whaled in pain.

"Dammit!" Sasuke yelled as he quickly threw a fireball at Kabutp and retracted with Tenten into the forest. Frantically, Sasuke pinned Tenten to a tree, pulled out the Senbon and pulled the yakuta down off of her shoulder. He then placed his lips to the wound an began to suck the blood and poison out. Tenten squirmed in pain, although she knew it was helping her. Sasuke continued sucking the poison as spitting out blood until he no longer saw black. When he was done, he wiped his mouth and heaved a heavy sigh.

"S..Sasuke won't that hurt you too?" Tenten whispered.

"No. Any poison he uses I am immune to." Sasuke answered before turning and scanning the area. Like clockwork, the man was back and faced Sasuke with a fightin stance.

Suddenly, by Tenten's side appeared the Anbu from before. "I will take care of her, go." The Anbu urged Sasuke.

Sasuke turned and looked at him hesitant. "Can I trust you?" Sasuke asked darkly as he pointed his sword to his throat.

"You don't have a choice." The Anbu said, pushing his sword down. Sasuke growled, realizing the black ops was right, and then he and Kabuto disappeared.

"Sasuke!" Tenten yelled as she bolted into the woods.

"No, Tenten!" The Anbu shouted. Then, she knew. Tenten stopped in her tracks an turned to face him. His voice resonates loudly in her mind, and sent shivers down her spine.

"Neji." She whispered.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey readers. I'm sorry it's been so long, and sorry isn't good enough I know that. But I promise you that no matter how long it takes I will finish this story! I thank you all for your support! Some assumed that this story was done but it is not ;) obviously. **

**_I DO NOT OWN NARUTO_**

**_Chapter 18~* no regrets_**

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Tenten stood paralyzed staring at Neji with wide honey eyes. Her heart seemed to have stopped in her chest and she could hardly breathe as she gazed upon him. Although she could not see his face, she knew without a doubt who it was. He turned away from her, almost ashamed. Finally Tenten regained the ability to move. She marched up to him, grabbed the edge of his mask underneath his chin and flung his mask off. She gasped, as if surprised, at the sight of his face. Sure enough, it was the Hyuga she once loved. He seemed just as surprised as she.

"I..it is you." She whispered through trembling lips. "H..how?" It was bitter sweet.

Neji knelt down and picked up his mask, then placed it back over his face. The last thing he wanted to do was express to her emotion, especially now as an Anbu. But he felt he owed it to her to explain. "It's a long story but, yes, it is I."

Tenten's mind was swirling with violent clouds of confusion and fear. She was unsure of what to do at this moment. Now she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The man who she loved and lost was standing before her in the flesh, yet her mind still remained firmly locked onto Sasuke and his safety. "I...I don't have time.." She mumbled before turning on her heel and heading in the direction Sasuke and Kabuto rushed off too. As she took a few steps, she lost her footing, twisting her ankle and began to fall face first.

Neji rushed to her quickly and grabbed her waist from behind steadying her. He closed his eyes a moment and savored the embrace, but Tenten pulled away.

"Thank you." She said, blushing a little as she turned to him.

"You're just as clumsy as ever." Neji teased lightly.

Tenten pouted. He hasn't changed, even after death, if he really had in fact died. Before either of them could speak another word, a loud explosion was heard in the distance.

"Sasuke!" She exclaimed. "I have to go to him. I can't lose him too!" She cried before rushing of again.

"Tenten!" Neji yelle as he ran after her. He knew she was running on a twisted ankle, which could cause breakage or permanent damage. The second thing he noticed was that her speed an agility had improved dramatically since he had last seen her. Most likely due to the training with the Uchiha. He kept up with her, just barely and she had the twisted ankle. Neji deducted that adrenalin was the cause as she slowly slipped from his sights.

Tenten followed the smoke she saw as it increasingly grew higher in the sky. She knew the outcome of that explosion would not be pretty, she just prayed it wouldn't be Sasuke on the receiving end. She was in pain, but that was the last thing on her mind as she rushed forward.

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Tenten knew she had arrived at the battle grounds when the smoke became so thick she could no longer see. "Damn." She mumbled. She frantically searched for Sasuke, hoping with all of her being that he was unharmed. Slowly she moved further into the smokiness and continued to look for Sasuke while managing not to let her guard down. She knew that Kabuto could be lingering somewhere. Her main priority was to find Sasuke. Not that she had any doubts in his ability, but simply because she could not bear to lose him.

Finally, after searching for a few minutes, Tenten saw Sasuke leaning against a tree stump breathing rather heavily. She slowly approached him, making sure she recognized his chakra. It was indeed him, she was sure of it, but he seemed rather weak and gave off very little chakra. Quickly she rushed to his side and knelt down.

"Sasuke!" She exclaimed.

Sasuke looked at her, smiled weakly then moaned. His left side had a rather large gash in it, and bruises and scratches lined his entire body.

"Oh no." Tenten whispered as she brought a hand over her mouth.

"I'll..be...fine." Sasuke said between breaths.

"We have to get you home." Tenten said frantically as she turned around and hoisted Sasuke onto her back.

"Aww, how sweet." came a sinister voice from the distance. "Put him down slowly, and he will live."

The last thing Tenten wanted to do was put him down. She knew he wasn't doing good at all, but she also knew that this wasn't an empty threat. Slowly Tenten set Sasuke gently on the ground and he let out another moan.

"Tenten, Run!" Sauke managed to say, followed by a wet n cough.

Tenten had no time to think, she was suddenly being yanked to the ground by her hair. She fell on her back painfully, causing the air in her lungs to escape violently. Kabuto then walked around her and stood over her. Grabbing the material of her Yakuta, he pulled her up to her feet and smiled. "You sure are a tasty one." He said as he licked his lips.

Quickly, Tenten reached to his utility strap on his thigh and snatched a Kunai, she then made a slash in his cheek and sprung back taking a stance. The two were soon in a heated taijutsu battle, both wielding Kunai. Tenten sustained an injury to her ipper thigh, and right arm, but managed to guard her Vitals. She knew that Sasuke was running out of time and that she needed to end the battle quickly. She was running out of strength and fast. Kabuto slammed her against a tree and slapped her across te face firmly. Tenten let out an angry growl and spit in his face.

"Why you little..." He said angrily with a nasty scowl before making a contorted face and slumping into Tenten like a rag doll. Tenten squealed as his face squished between her breasts and she shoved him away. He stumbled a bit, turned around and fell onto his face. Tenten's eyes widened when she saw several Kunai protruding from his back. Each one perfectly and accurately puncturing a vital area. She looked up in the direction from which they came and gasped when she saw Neji. He had Sasuke on his back, holding onto him securely. Sasuke looked pale, and his side was growing increasingly dark black and red.

"Let's go!" Neji yelled. Tenten did not protest whatsoever and headed abruptly toward Konoha.

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Tenten stood next to Sasuke's bed and looked down upon him. His face was pale and weary, his eyes were closed tightly and his breathing was weighty and slow. He'd been viciously poisoned and the wound on his side was critical. Tsunade had placed him in intensive care and he was improving by the hour. But she could't move. Her body wa frozen as she stared down at him and listen to te sound of the rain as it beat against he window. Tenten felt it fitting that the day went from sunny to stormy as the e vents took place.

"Ita a good thing Neji arrived when he did, or you both woulda been goners." Tsunade said, approaching Tenten from behind after entering through the double doors.

Tenten turned her head and looked at her mentor. The words rang through her mind. Neji. She was right, Neji saved both of them. She knew she needed to talk to him, and she wasn't sure when Sasuke would awaken, but she didn't want to leave his side.

"Sasuke appears to be improving." Tsunade spoke again, as if she had read Tenten's mind.

"Will he be okay?" Tenten asked with large and watery eyes.

"Yes. He's strong, he'll pull through." Tsunade replied reassuringly.

Before Tenten could speak in response, the two heard a small clank outside near the window. Tenten's legs were finally able to move and she found herself surprised as she propelled toward the window. She unlocked the latches and lifted the window despite the pouring rain that soon fell on her face.

"You should be inside, Tenten." Said Neji as he sat on the ledge of the building. The ledge was only about a foot and a half wide, with red pleated metal. He sat there delicately as the rain pounded upon his maskless face.

"What about you, Neji. You're gonna get sick out here." She said as she began to climb out next to him.

"Get inside!" Neji ordered, afraid she would plummet to the ground ten feet down.

"No. I do what I want." she said, sitting beside him and dangling her feet. "Besides, I need answers."

"Okay, what about?" Neji asked, although he knew what exactly she was talking about.

"I thought you were dead." She paused." How are you alive?"

Neji sighed and looked at her with sorrowful eyes. "I can't tell you that, it's classified. I swore not to speak it. We are keeping my identity a secret in the village." He admitted as he scratched the top of his head. As he did this, Tenten noticed that his forehead was still free of the curse mark that had haunted him his entire life. Upon seeing this she smiled a little.

"I understand. Can you at least tell me how long you've been alive?" Tenten asked curiously.

"About a week." he answered shortly. With this, Tenten concluded a forbidden Jutsu was used on him, and in order to keep anyone from finding out, they kept his identity a secret by giving him a position as a black ops.

"I see." Tenten started.

Neji desperately wanted to be off of the subject, so he began blurting. "You two are happy." He stated.

Tenten was a bit caught off guard by the statement he made and stared at him for a moment with wide eyes. As she stared, she became increasingly flooded with guilt, here the man who proposed to her not too long ago, who died in battle was back in the flesh. Did she owe him something? In her heart she felt that now that he was alive, she was obligated to keep that engagement, although she no longer wanted that. She knew what she had with Neji before his death was special and distinct, but it was a far cry from what she had with Sasuke now.

"Oh Nej." She whispered. "Although I am with Sasuke, I am obligated to keep our engagement." she said as she bowed her head a little. Painfully, she said what needed to be said. She knew that it wasn't right to either of them, but Neji had proposed and she did say yes, and even though she moved on, now he was back.

Neji chuckled. "No, Tenten." He said as he lifted her chin. "I want you to remain happy. Sasuke has been able to give you everything I could not. Please stay with him."

Tenten looked up at Neji with quivering lips. This was a new, tender side of Neji she was unaware ever existed. Suddenly tears streamed down her face. She realized Neji had changed so dramatically after death. She also realized she didn't regret his death at all, which made her feel guilty. Shouldn't she regret it? Why was she so selfish?

Although it was raining, Neji knew she was crying. "Tenten You know I hate it when you cry. "

"I don't... I don't regret it." She whispered.

"Regret what?" He asked, though he already knew the answer in his heart.

"Your death." she whispered. She knew how cold hearted she sounded, but it was true especially now since he was back, and curse free.

Neji put a hand on her shoulder and smiled softly. "Me neither, Tenten." He then placed a delicate kiss on her forehead. "Go inside before you catch cold." He warneby.

Tenten felt a weight lifted off her chest, she smiled and nodded. "Thank you, " she sai before crawling back through the window and closing it. She stood there soaking wet and watched Neji disappear. She then flipped around upon hearing a moan come from Sasuke's bed. Tenten rushed to his side, slipping a little and stabalizig herself on the railing of his bed. Sasuke's eyes snapped open.

"Tenten." He said wearily.

"Hey." She smiled down at him.

Sasuke began to sit up, but found himself restricted by the oxygen tubes in his nose and the IV in his hand. "It was.." He mumbled as he yanked the oxygen tubes out.

"Sasuke! You need to rest!" She said frantically as she pushed him down.

"I'm..." He winced as he pulled the IV out of his hand. "I'm fine." he said trying to get out of bed.

"Stop that!" Tenten plead.

Sasuke pushed the raining down and stood to his feet, his hospital gown straightening as he stood. He was a bit unsteady and he seemed a bit unsteady. "It was Neji:" Sasuke said as he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes I know, Sasuke please lay back down. I'm worried about you." She begged.

"Go." Sasuke said sternly, his face a but cold and determined.

"What? No. What are you talking about?" Tenten asked, confused.

"He was your love, and now he is back. Go to him." Sasuke urged.

"That may be, Sasuke. But I love you now Sasuke. So much more than you could ever imagine." She said, tears threatening to fall. "And you know what?" She whispered as she pulled him into a gental hug. "I told him I didn't regret his death."

Sasuke winced, as the hug although gentle, reminded him of his pain. Buhappyc pulls care less, the words that came from her mouth had him overjoyed.

"I love you, Uchiha." Tenten whispered.

"I love you too." Sasuke said with a smile.


	19. Chapter 19

Hello my lovely readers :) thanks so much for your support and I'm thrilled to hear you're enjoying. I did have one reviewer ask me to make this into a Nejiten. My answer: no. This is a Sasuten. Although I'm glad you're reading and I do love Neji very much :) but I began this story with Sasuke and Tenten in mind and I intend to end it that way as well. Please enjoy this next chapter as things are about to get "Vedy Interezting" Im sorry if this chapter seems a bit thrown together. This idea literally came to me the other day and I was desperate to implement it ASAP, so forgive me I just had to hurry with it a little bit.

_**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! (If I did I think he and I would be eating ramen right now lol)**_

_**Chapter 19: The big picture **_

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"You didn't tell her anything, did you, Neji?" Tsunade asked as she peered from her office window to look at the Anbu who was perched on the ledge.

"No. I didn't." He answered shortly.

"Just keep in mind that what you're doing is..." She began but she was cut off.

"For the good of Konoha." He repeated back, as though he had heard her say this multiple times, over and over. In fact he had. The first time he heard her say this was a few weeks before the war.

_***Flashback***_

Tsunade had earlier in the week been approached by a very strange elderly woman. The things the woman said to her shook her to the core, which was a very difficult thing to do to Taunade.

"The destruction of Konoha is imminent." Is what the woman warned. Tsunade spent the rest of that day asking fellow villagers about this woman. Turns out she was Konoha's most accurate and renown fortune teller. She would randomly stop people on the streets and give them a fortune. Each and every time that fortune would come true, good or bad. Now it was Tsunade's turn to get a fortune and she didn't like the news what so ever. Every person Tsunade asked warned her and told her that this woman was never wrong, even Shizune Warned Tsunade.

The next day, Tsunade had the woman brought into her office to discuss the matter. She sat anxiously in her desk until the elderly woman was escorted in, by none other then Neji Hyuga. The woman's hair was log white an scraggly, she had a long brown and flowing dress on with a tight back belt in the middle. Several necklaces hung from her neck and she smelled of thick essential oils.

"I believe this woman was looking for you, Lady Tsunade Sama." Neji said with a bow of his head.

"This young man," started the woman in a scratchy worn out tone. "Is the key." She said confidently.

Tsunade quirked an eyebrow and looked at Neji who raised his head in confusion. "Come sit. Both of you." Tsunade said gesturing with her arms to the seats in front o her desk.

The two obliged and Tsunade looked intently at the woman. "Please tell me what you meant by the destruction of Konoha is imminent." Tsunade asked curiously.

At this point, Neji was extremely confused, but he thought it may have something to do with the war. But he couldn't be further from the truth.

"Once the battle is won, he will come." The woman said ominously.

"What, who will come? And what battle?" Tsunade asked, trying not to let her temper Flare. The woman was being quite indirect and Taunade's patience was wearing thin.

"The war. What are you dumb? Konoha will experience a victory, but at hat victory will be short lived. A man will come and singlehandedly take out each and every last villager in Konoha. Except one." The woman said, fixating her eyes on Tsunade. "A very powerful man. With a sword and red eyes as bright as blood. He is capable of evil things. Very evil things, Hokage. Be aware that he is a real threat."

"Well, if we destroy this man before he gets a chance, we'll be in the clear, right?" Tsunade asked. "Who is he, and who is it he is supposedly leaving alive?"

"Uchiha, Sasuke will destroy Konoha, and the person he leaves alive is the one associated to this man." She gestured to Neji. "The female. But she is soon killed as well, but each time I dream this dream, he hesitates."

"Heaitates?" Neji asked, curiously. The last thing he wanted was for Konoha to be destroyed, especially Tenten, but he would protect her at all costs.

"He is infatuated with the girl, has been from a young age, but because she is tethered to you, her death is also imminent."

"So, we go after Sasuke, and kill him?" Tsunade asked, a little upset but more concerned for her village.

"No. There is an alternative. I had a second dream in which I was shown the answer. the answer lies with him," she pointed to Neji. "And his companion."

"What do you mean by that, ma'am?" Neji asked.

"How exactly do we stop Sasuke?" Came Tsunade.

"I have the answer." The elderly woman spoke. "The other Uchiha, Itachi, is alive, isn't he?" .

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It was there that the woman explained that Tenten and Sasuke were designed for each other. Tenten was the saving grace for Sasuke and would derail him completely from his plans to destroy Konoha. Neji was the only thing keeping that from happening, but he couldn't break it off with her just like that. It was explained to Taunade and Neji that every action had to be proceeded with great care and detail in order for their plan to work. Neji and Tenten would be on separate divisions in the war. As the war proceeded, Tenten would be protected at all costs, while a the same time keeping her oblivious to this fact. Neji would fake his death with a forbidden Jutsu that would enable him to be revived from any attack that caused his heart to stop beating, but he could only do it once. This Jutsu had been preformed once by Itachi Uchiha, who had been Tsunade's right hand man and insider for quite some time. He was now working discreetly as an anbu. He would now be used to gently guide Sasuke in the right direction with a fake letter asking for Sasuke's acceptance back into the village. He and Tenten were to meet on a fated night where Sasuke would attempt to take care of her and everything would soon fall into place.

"I have one more thing to add, I must speak to the Hokage alone." The woman insisted after they had their plan laid out. Tsunade quickly dismissed Neji.

Neji felt like his heart had been ripped from his chest. He was to hand the girl he planned to marry over to an unstable criminal based on the dreams of an elderly old woman. Needless to say he had his doubts, but Tsunade was quite superstitious. This was an order. It was for the good of Konoha, she assured him.

After Neji left, another conversation began.

"The threat is diminished, but it is very important that Sasuke and the female are protected. Keep their missions minimal. They are very vital to this village." The woman expounded.

"How so?" Tsunade asked with a little eagerness.

"Their child will be more powerful than the sage of the six paths himself."

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**_*End Flashback* _**

"Do you think this was the right thing to do?" Neji asked out of the blue.

Tsunade blinked her honey eyes a few times. She knew Neji was hurting deeply. He had given up everything in order to save Konoha, even his life. But it was such a valiant death, although he was now alive once more. Neji was dead inside, and all that he wanted was the warmth of Tenten's embrace to bring him back. When he told her Sasuke could give her the love he could not, he was honest. He saw the way Sasuke looked at Tenten. He treated her well as supported her in a way Neji could never imagine. He knew deep down that she and Sasuke really were fated to be together. It satisfied him to see her happy, but that meant he spent the rest of his days in hiding from the rest of Konoha.

"Yes. It was the right thing to do. I'll give you your freedom in a few more years, but the total truth can never be disclosed." Tsunade said.

"I know." Neji stated in a melancholy tone. He was being greatly compensated for his efforts, but it didn't matter much.

"Hey." Tsunade said, sensing his sorrow. "Since Kabuto is no longer a threat, I'm sending you out as a real Anbu captain. It's not pretend anymore."

Although it didn't compare to having Tenten back, the news thrilled Neji. At least one dream of his could be fulfilled.

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_**Thats all for this chapter, please review and let me know what you think and if you feel I should take Sasuke and Tenten's relationship to the next level, and how soon a possible child should be brought into the picture! I'd love to know how you feel although I don't want to rush too much :)**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Heyyyyy Mina:) thank you all so much for your reviews I love to read them. Seems as though you are mixed on the idea of a child, that's okay! I'll keep things at my own pace, however I'm always open to hearing you opinions. I really appreciate everyone's support! You're all so wonderful!**

_**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**_

_**Chapter 20~Love triumphs **_

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Sasuke had recovered quite rapidly and he was released from the hospital the following evening. He and Tenten had gone to the Uchiha Complex to get some rest. Sasuke would have preferred to stay at her home, for some reason, as they approached his home, he felt more an more uneasy. He couldn't help it. When he first met Tenten, she was so distraught about Neji's death, to the point of even taking her own life. Now Neji was miraculously back in Konoha. He couldn't help but feel as though Tenten was going to rush back into the arms of her beloved Hyuga. He was her ex finance' after all. He wondered how long it would be before Tenten broke the news to him that it was over and she was going back to him. Sure she told Sasuke that she wanted to be with him, rather than Neji, but Sasuke had his doubts. He loved Tenten, that was for certain, but now there was a deep aching in his heart that he could not explain. His chest was constricted and his breathing was ragged.

Tenten could tell something was deeply troubling Sasuke by the look on his face and the slowness of his walk. Part of her felt as if he may still be in pain from the previous battle. Tenten was exhausted. The two day he was in the hospital she made sure she did whatever he could to keep him comfortable. She hasn't slept a wink, and she had a few wounds left untreated. She promised herself to care for them when she got home, but if she was honest, she was surprised Sasuke hadn't noticed. He was so quiet, and almost acting a bit cold. She was too tired to pry at this point. Maybe he just needed more rest.

The two made it to the complex and had settled into bed, neither of them saying much to the other. Sasuke became a bit more alarmed that she hasn't spoken to him very much. He merely took it as confirmation that she was about to crush him. She fell asleep quickly. Sasuke sat at the edge of the bed staring at her sleeping form. She was so peaceful, so beautiful. His heart began to harden as he thought of Neji. It wasn't his fault that he happened to sweep in just at the time that Tenten was in desperate need, but how dare he try to captivate her once more after she had moved on? Of course Sasuke could've handled Kabuto, Neji had to swoop in and steal the glory, and Sasuke felt as though Tenten's heart was swept along with it.

So he decided, he would just disappear with the wind. Cold as the autumn breezes, no one knows where they come from or where they disappear to. Slowly and carefully he stood, swept his shirt over his shoulders, tucked it into his black pants. Moonlight shone through the window illuminating his pale bare chest as he strapped his sword to his back. He took one last look at Tenten, he longed for one more kiss from her soft and sweet lips, but he couldn't. This was not the time to be caught up in emotion. Not tonight. The whole situation was painful enough as it was.

_He has his doubts, he needs reassured. _

_I'm on it. I'll send Itachi. _

Sasuke walked to the front door slowly, hesitation with each and every step that he took. He placed his hand on the hold in the screen and began to slide it open. As soon as the screen hit the stopper with a click, Sasuke looked up to see a dark figure staring down at him with blood red eyes that matched his own.

"Where are you going, little brother?" Came Itachi's dark and familiar voice.

Sasuke was filled with several flooding emotions at once. Being at his parents home, in the dark alone with Itachi brought back recollections of the painful past, but at the same time he was almost relieved to see his elder brother.

"N..Ni San.." Sasuke whispered.

Itachi gripped into his brother's arm and swiftly dragged him outside into the middle of the street. "I asked you where you were going."

Sasuke was quite familiar with this Itachi, but the past few times he met with his brother, Itachi was much softer, a lot like old times when Sasuke was merely a child. He had no idea why Itachi was acting so gruff with him now.

"I'm leaving Konoha." Sasuke mumbled, a little afraid of the recoil.

"Baka!" Itachi yelled as he firmly placed a flat palm against Sasuke's cheek.

Sasuke looked up at his brother and growled. His cheek was stinging furiously. "What the hell Itachi?! This is none of your damn business so stay the hell out of it!"

"You're gonna leave her. Abandon her? She loves _you._ You're just too much of an idiot to realize it. You know what that'll do to her? You're just gonna hand her over to that Hyuga when she chose you!?" Itachi scolded.

Sasuke blinked a few times, and slowly the scowl upon his face began to disappear. _Oh God Tenten... What am I doing? _

"If you're not gonna treat her right, _I_ will." With that, Itachi released his grip on Sasuke's arm, causing it to fall limply. Itachi slowly walked toward the house and as he stepped onto the porch he turned back and smirked at his brother.

Sasuke gasped, snapping out of his thoughts he ran quickly to his doorway and shoved Itachi to the side causing him to stumble backward and fall hard onto his butt. "Out of my way!" Sasuke yelled as he ran inside continuing his momentum. He them skidded to a stop when he reached the kitchen, turned around and peaked his head out the door to look at Itachi. "Don't you dare even think about it. " he threatened on a soft tone.

Itachi, still on the porch in a sitting position, merely smiled at his brother.

_Things are looking promising once more. _

Sasuke rushed into Itachi's old room where Tenten lay still sleeping peacefully. Tears threatened to fall from Sasuke's dark eyes as he looked upon her with guilt. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. Itachi's timing was impeccable. It had to be more than coincidence, but Sasuke knew Itachi ha been looking out for him since the day he arrived back in Konoha. Sasuke knew now he had to prove to her just how much he cared for her. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

Sasuke threw his sword to the ground and jumped onto the bed, startling Tenten awake. He grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and pulled her up. He then embraced her tightly and buried his face in her thick brown locks.

Tenten was surprised by his sudden action, but she returned his embrace. "Are you okay?" She whispered as she gently stroked his hair.

"I love you more than anything in this world and I will never let you go." He whispered in response.

Tenten pulled away a little, resting her hands delicately on his shoulders. His wordat had taken her breath away for a moment. "Sasuke." She said smiling softly as she touched his bare chest Slowly running her hand down to rest on his hip.

Sasuke only smiled in response, although he was scolding himself on the inside for almost leaving such a precious thing behind. As she traced the outlines of his muscles shivers tinged up and down his spine. Slowly Tenten put her hands underneath his shirt on top of his shoulders and slid his shirt off, causing it to fall gracefully off of his arms. Meanwhile, Sasuke was caught up feeling like he didn't deserve her, but at the same time a new found passion was rising up within him.

Sasuke firmly placed his hands on her hips and places a line of soft kisses on her neck, causing a few quiet moans to escape her lips and Tenten grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged it roughly. Sasuke growled a little at this gesture, painfully pleasurable. Slowly he lowered her back down and climbed on top of her. Tenten looked up at him blushing. Sasuke put his hands on either side of her head and slowly lowered himself down to his her softly, but Tenten pressed her lips against his firmly and wrapped her legs around his waist. Sasuke's dark eyes widened at her action, but soon closed in Pleasure. He slowly moved his hand down from her hip down lower to her thigh past the hem of her shorts where he felt a long gash on the back of her leg, and he felt her wince as his finger tips graze the top of it.

"Why didn't you tell me you were wounded?" He asked, concerned as he slowly pressured her legs. To push them down.

Tenten let out a small sigh, not ready to give up on the feelings she was experiencing. "I didn't want to worry you."

"Oh, Tenten." Sasuke said as he gently caressed her face. "I'm always gonna worry about you. C'mon let's get it cleaned up. "

"No." Tenten urged as her cheeks turned a little red. "N..not yet." She said as she squeezed her legs tighter around his waist.

Sasuke too blushed a bit. He was fighting with himself greatly. Part of him wanted to make sure the wound was cleaned properly so that there would be no infection or scarring, but the lustful half of him wanted her. And right now, the lustful part was winning. Before he could think more, Tenten placed a soft kiss on his neck, biting it gently. Then he knew for certain that the lustful side would take this victory. he was also sure that Teren had no intentions of leaving him. Sasuke growled in pleasure and grabbed the edges of her shirt and began to lift it over her head. Tenten pulled away from his neck in order for him to pull it off. He admired her lacy navy bra as he gently grazed her skin with his lips.

Trails of kisses ran from her neck to the middle of her breasts and Sasuke stopped and looked up at her as if to ask permission. Tenten blushed warmly and nodded. She assisted him by unhooking her bra and Sasuke slid her straps off her shoulders and threw the lacy garment to the floor. Tenten squealed as she felt is cold hands squeezing her gently. Her hands then immediately found themselves pulling at his pants, which Sasuke immediately removed to oblige her unspoken request. "A..Are you sure Tenten?" Sasuke asked, a bit concerned.

"I'm very sure, Sasuke." She said with a seductive smile.


	21. Chapter 21: Juro-Kun

**Hey guys! Woohoo! You all rock my world with all of your reviews and support! I gotta say I'm completely blown away by your kindness. Thank you for everything. Continue to let me know how you feel! Always open to your suggestions!**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

_**Chapter 21: Juro-Kun **_

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"No. It's just too damn risky. I can't have your cover getting blown." A frustrated Tsunade explained as Neji sat before her with a stern look on his face beneath his mask. Neji had found out about Naruto and Hinata's upcoming wedding, and desperately wanted to attend. It had been about three months since his incident with Tenten, Sasuke and Kabuto, and he only just found out about his cousin's engagement. he also just foun out that Naruto and Tenten were cousins, just like he and Hinata. He wanted be there for Hinata's special day, but his fake death posed a real problem with that.

"Tsunade, I can't miss it. I can go as someone else." Neji plead. It meant the world to him to be there, of course he knew it would be extremely risky and his henge better be damn unrecognizable. Around all those Hyuga's and their Byakugan, it was no easy task that was for sure. But Neji was confident he could pull it off, in fact he had formulated a perfect plan. He would disguise himself as Tenten's brother. Of course Tenten did not have a brother, and that was why the plan was perfect. No one would recognize him, therefore it would be harder to tell if he was a fake. Unlike trying to be someone like Lee or Gai sensei where acting ridiculous was essential to fooling everyone, he could act however he wanted as someone who never existed in the first place. The next step would be getting Tenten to agree to play along, which may or may not be difficult depending on her mood. The final step would be getting himself invited o the wedding, which wouldn't be hard seeing as how Naruto was quick to make friends with just about anyone.

"Well you seem rather confident about something, Neji. Care to tell me what you genius mind is thinking?" Tsunade asked sarcastically. She knew Neji was a genius, but that didn't mean she was going to change her mind on the idea. If anyone were to find out, it would not be good. She didn't want to allow her mind to travel that far. It was not going to happen.

Neji sensed the sarcasm, but decided to expound anyway. "Tsunade, Tenten's past is unbeknownst to most everyone in Konoha, correct?" Neji asked, crossing his arms and looking at her through the holes in his Anbu mask.

Tsunade was beginning to grow impatient, and sake was sounding more and more appealing with each word Neji spoke. Reason being, Tsunade knew he was going to convince her to say yes already. _Dammit_. She thought as she motioned for him to continue.

"I know I can't disguise myself in a henge of anyone who lives here or used to live here for that matter. I know even then I would be struggling to prove to everyone that I am not who I really am. Chakra levels, mannerisms, so many things can get in the way. But if I come in as someone they've never met before, it's easier to fool would be more difficult for them to spot a fake they don't know than a fake of someone they already know."

Tsunade knew full well that Neji had probably already thought every single detail through, but do the hell of it she would ask. "Well Neji, that solves nothing. You don't know if Tenten will agree. She will know it's you, I doubt you can fool her. " Tsunade then had another thought. "And how will you get yourself invited to their wedding?"

"I will tell Tenten. I believe because she cares for her own cousin Naruto, and for my cousin Hinata she will play along. Naruto and Tenten are cousins, which if I pretended to be Tenten's brother, that would make me family to Naruto. He would be sure to invite me. Naruto is quick and eager to make friends. Getting invited will be the easiest part of the whole plan.

"Dammit Neji if you get caught..."

"I won't. I swear." He interrupted. Inwardly he was a little worried she would tell him no, but he was fighting hard for this.

"Well." Tsunade sighed loudly and slammed her palms on the table. "I need some sake."

Neji took his mask off and gently set it on her desk. "Do I have your approval or not?" He asked bluntly.

"You'd better start now, to earn their trust." Tsunade mumbled reluctantly.

Although it was a mumble, Neji heard it just fine. "Thank you so much Hokage Sama." He said gratefully.

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He strolled down the streets of Konoha, getting strange looks from many of the villagers as he walked by. Juro strode confidently to his sister's home, his long chocolate hair swaying with each step he took_**. ( A/N Juro in Japanese is literally Ten Son I found the name quite fitting) **_Many of the women stared at him as he passed. He was an instant heart throb. He was tall, olive skinned and extremely well built. He wore black sandals, white baggy pants and a long sleeved light blue open shirt with yellow Chinese fasteners on it. His hair was parted dramatically to one side and covered one eye while the length of it was pulled into a high pony tail. He had a well defined face, good cheek bones, but his chin was a bit rounded. His nose was well proportioned to his face, and came to a slight, masculine point. His eyes were what stood out most of all. They were large and colored a deep honey. He had thick black eyelashes framing them, making them stand out even more.

Finally Juro reached his beloved sister's home, avoiding the squeals and gropes of the ladies who became instantly infatuated with him._ This must be what Uchiha feels like. _Juro knocked gently on the familiar door. It was strange to him coming to her home in _this w_ay. But it was necessary, besides, it would be good to spend time with her once more. Much to his dismay, it was not his sister who opened the door, rather her.. Whatever he was.

Sasuke stared at the man before him in awe. He looked strikingly similar to Tenten. He blinked his onyx eyes a few times and continued to study the man before him. Something seemed oddly familiar about him though, and Sasuke was unsure if it was because he looked so much like Tenten, or if it was something else entirely.

"Is Tenten-Chan here?" Juro asked kindly in a charismatic tone. It was much different than his normal voice, something similar to Kakashi and Iruka combined.

Sasuke scratched his dark hair and stared more. He finally knew. "Yes. What do you want with her, Ne..." Sasuke was abruptly cut off by Juro's hand covering his mouth.

"Shut the hell up." Juro warned as he pushed Sasuke inside and closed the door behind him. Sasuke shoved Juro's hand away from his mouth and glared angrily.

"What was that for?" Sasuke growled.

It was at this time that Tenten emerged from the kitchen. She was wearing black shorts and a red half shirt, revealing her well toned abs, best of all her hair was down, softly laying in curls cascading down her shoulders and back. She stood staring at the stranger in her home, eyes wide with curiosity. It looked as though she were looking in a mirror. It frightened her, a little looking at the man. But he seemed so very familiar. She couldn't quite put her finger on it until the man revealed his true identity.

"Neji?" Tenten asked, a bit confused as she looked upon the two men in her living room. One with large white eyes, the other with narrow black eyes.

"Hey, Tenten." he said softly. "Sasuke." He said, acknowledging his replacement.

Sasuke remained silent, in order to hear the upcoming explanation.

"What were you doing, just now?" Tenten asked curiously.

"I just found out about Hinata's engagement to Naruto. I also found out that Naruto is related to you." Neji said, staring intently at his former love. Part of him ha wished to hear it from her that day they sat on the rooftop of the hospital.

"Yes.." Tenten said, still unsure why Neji was here, and why he came looking like that.

"I want to go to the wedding." Neji said plainly. Now things were beginning to make sense to Sasuke, but Tenten still had questions.

"And the way you were dressed before has something to do with that, doesn't it?" Tenten asked as she made her way to the couch and sat. She then gestured for Neji and Sasuke both to sit. Neji an Sasuke looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, neither of them knowing where to sit. Finally Sasuke took his place next to Tenten, and Neji sat on the love seat across from them.

"Yes." He answered.

"You plan to pose as Tenten's older brother." Sasuke stayed cooly. "Correct?"

"Exactly." Neji responded, clasping his pale hands together.

Tenten tapped her chin with her index finger, thinking about the situation. "So you want me to pretend to be your sister, and lie to Naruto telling him he has another family member, that doesn't really exist?" Tenten asked. She thought it was a good idea, but she didn't want to lie to Natuto and break his heart if he ever found out the truth. So it posed a minor problem.

"Yes, I do. But I mean to treat him just as I would family. Technically speaking he _will_ be my family." Neji stayed.

Sasuke once remained silent, he wanted to hear Tenten's response. He could see the danger in the situation. The danger of losing Tenten. Neji was asking to be part of her life once more, and that posed a threat to her relationship with Sasuke. Needless to say, Sasuke did not like the situation at all.

"I guess you have a point there." Tenten couldn't argue. And knowing Naruto, he wouldn't be mad even if he found out the truth. He would probably be even more happy. She sat for a few moments more, taking in the situation. "Alright. I'll agree to it." She replied.

Sasuke wasn't thrilled when he heard this, but he didn't want to cause problems between he and Tenten, but he would have to make sure Neji kept to his boundaries. Tenten belonged to him now and that's how it would stay.

"Really?" Neji aske excitedly.

Tenten nodded and gave him a smile. She knew things were going to be awkward, but it may be nice to spend time with Neji, in an unromantic way. Almost like being teammates once more, but instead, siblings. "So what do we call you?" She asked curiously.

"Juro." Neji replied cooly.

"Welcome to the family, Juro-Kun."


	22. Chapter 22: the wedding party

**Hey Mina-San! Thanks for all of your reviews! I'm almost at 100! Wow! I'm completely blown away by your kindness. I love you all! so to answer a few questions, no my story is not over yet, and I don't plan to soon. I have more ideas floating around in my brain. I will let you know when that day comes I will make it clear that it is the end. After that, I may consider a sequel, depending on how my precious and beloved readers feel about it! But we will cross that bridge when we get there! **

_**Chapter 21: The Wedding Party **_

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"Thank you, Tenten. I really appreciate this." Neji said as he sat across from Tenten and her new love. He could tell by the scowl on Sasuke's face that the Uchiha was displeased with the situation. Neji really never intended to piss him off or come in between the two, he simply and honestly wanted to see Hinata walk down the aisle.

"I suppose we have to get our story straight before we introduce you to..." Tenten started before hearing the sound of someone else pounding on her door. Tenten stood but was stopped when she felt Sasuke's cold hand gently holding onto her wrist.

"I will go." He said calmly. He then turned to Neji and looked at him seriously. "Juro."

"Oh, right." Neji knew immediately what Sasuke meant and transformed into Juro.

The dark haired Uchiha walked to the front door, latched onto the cool handle and swung it open to see an orange clad ninja. "Naruto." He said reluctantly. "Hinata." He said, a bit softer.

"Sassssuuukeee!" Naruto exclaimed. This made Sasuke sweat drop and his shoulders tended. "Is Tenten-Chan here? We wante to talk to you guys."

Sasuke was moments away from creating an excuse for her, shower, still sleeping, or sharpening her weapons on the training grounds, but that plan was instantly thwarted when she sneezed daintily in the background. It wasn't loud by any means, but Naruto heard it and barged right in past Sasuke. Sasuke then stepped out of the way for Hinata to enter. Once she was in, he closed the door.

Naruto was now in the living room where Juro stood next to Tenten. He kept staring at the two of them intently, his crystal blue eyes traveling to Tenten, then back to Juro. "Woah... Who's this guy, shimai?" Naruto asked as he scratched his blonde head.

Hinata's eyes were wide as she stared at the two. The similarities were almost creepy, then again, most of the Hyuga clan looked identical to one another. Without a doubt in her mind, the two were related. More closely than Tenten and Naruto.

"Naruto, Hinata this is my older brother, Juro." Tenten said kindly, a small hint of nervousness laced inside her voice.

This is where Neji truly amazed both Sasuke and Tenten, a normally cool and collects person, Neji gave no hints or traces of his former self. He did his very best at combining Tenten and Naruto's personalities. He extended his hand to Naruto.

"Nice to meet you, I heard a lot about you." Juro said with a cunning smile. As Naruto took his hand, Juro grasped it and pulled Naruto into a half hug.

Narutp smiled a large smile that could only come from him. "Awesome!" he exclaimed as he hugged his newfound cousin. "So that means we're related too right? How come we've never seen you before?" Naruto asked finally pulling away from Juro's embrace.

Tenten began to open her mouth to speak, but her brother turned to her and gave her a very recognizable stern look. She knew he probably had the whole thing planned out in his mind, so she went to Hinata and gave her a quick hug and offered to make some tea. Hinata decided to accompany Tenten in the kitchen while Juro explained to Naruto the story.

"Well as you know, my mother and your mother were sisters. When my mother was 16, she ran away from Konoha with the notorious criminal of the mist, Zabuza Momochi. They fell in love and had me right away." Juro smiled a nostalgic smile. "Then four years later, my mother became pregnant once more, with my sister. But she desperately missed her family. So, at 9 months pregnant, she came back to Konoha to visit your mother, who was also pregnant but in very early stages. The visit was quick, my mother was in danger being back in Konoha, so she decided to leave. On her way back to the mist, she was attacked by rouge ninjas."

Tenten listened in to the conversation as she and Hinata, made the tea. It sounded well thought out. Hinata too, listened in. Curious about this mysterious man.

Juro continued. "She fought them off, but the battle sent her into labor. She had my sister on the very outskirts of Konoha, but died shortly after. It was said that an Anbu black opps rescued the baby. Since my father's death, I wanted to see Konoha, to see how my mother grew up. I did research, asking villagers about an infant that may have been found on the outskirts of Konoha around 19 years ago, that lead me to your Hokage, who then lead me here. I was so thrilled to find out my precious little sister had survived."

_Well shit, he sold that. I would believe him._ Sasuke thought to himself surprised.

Naruto stared at the honey eyed man. "So... You grew up a criminal with Zabuza? " he asked curiously. It was amazing to him, that there was another living relative standing before him, he could really care less if he was a criminal at this point, but it would be good to know.

"Well I was four when my mother passed away. At that time my father wasn't so bad, but after her death he spiraled out of control and his father, my grandfather took me in. And he only just recently passed." Juro explained.

Tenten and Hinata brought out cups and the tea kettle and set them on the coffee table. "Come sit down boys." Tenten asked kindly. Her gaze then turned to Sasuke who looked a bit displeased. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were narrow, fixed on Juro. "Sasuke." She said, quietly. Sasuke jolted out of his trance and accompanied Tenten on the couch, Juro sat right next to Tenten also, on her opposite side. Hinata and Naruto siting blissfully on the love seat.

Tenten couldn't comprehend just how awkward the situation had become. She could feel the negative energy emitting from Sasuke on her left, and the positive energy emitting from Juro on her right. It was extremely awkward, but she did her utmost to keep that from showing.

"So what.." Hinata began softly. "What do you specialize in?" She finished.

"I'm glad you asked. I specialize in medical ninjutsu, and much like my sister, weapons." Juro answered.

_No. You shouldn't have said that Neji. You know no matter what I will always have an edge when it comes to weapons_. Tenten began to sweat, she only hoped he could follow through with that last statement.

"We should train together some time!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke really didn't want Neji's cover to be blown, but he did, however want to see the skills he claimed to have. This would be entertaining, and he couldn't resist any longer. "Well actually we were all about to head to the training grounds. Why don't you two join us?" Sasuke asked, venom dripping profusely from each word.

Tenten darted a look at Sasuke, knowing full well he did it on purpose.

"Yeah! Alright!" Naruto said standing. "You okay with that, Hinata?" Naruto asked softly.

Hinata looked up at him and smiled. "Sure. I anything I'll just watch." she blushed.

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After Tenten changed into her normal get up, buns included, the group made their way to the training grounds. The entire way there, Sasuke wore a smirk. Tenten merely rolled her eyes. It wasn't like Juro was a threat to their relationship. she made it clear to Sasuke that she loved him now, but for some reason the competitive side of Sasuke only increased. Oddly enough it wasn't even Naruto bringing that out of him.

Hinata sat beneath a tree, watching the four as they configured their partners. Sasuke wanted to spar with Tenten so that Naruto could see how Juro really fought. Sasuke knew that it would be quite difficult for Neji to fight in a completely different style than he was used to, even more it would be difficult not to use his Byakugan.

"I call Tenten!" Sasuke said, as his fingers intertwined with hers, again she knew what Sasuke was doing. She was now at a cross roads, it was either protect Neji, and piss Sasuke off, or go along with Sasuke and hope that Neji didn't get caught. She thought for a minute, Neji was the one who made the statement, surely he thought he could follow through with it. So she sighed and obliged to Sasuke. But she wouldn't be going easy on him.

Juro was content with fighting Naruto, he would simply use Tenten's style. It wasn't important if he win, it was more important that he keep his true identity withheld. He knew even if Hinata saw him with her Byakugan she would not recognize him. Even his Chakra levels were drastically different than Neji's. Needless to say he was a bit weak.

Hinata watched as the battles progressed, she really paid no attention to Sasuke and Tenten, her eyes were fixated on Naruto and his shirtless, glistening body. She could tell he was going easy on Juro, but Juro seemed to be putting up a relatively good fight. Juro was fast but he was not accurate with weapons like Tenten. He was good but not direct. Sloppy. She shrugged, and enjoyed the view, her face growing a darker shade of red by the minute.

Tenten was perched in a tree, breathing heavily and staring down at Sasuke who was searching for her. She felt a bit dizzy, and extremely fatigued._ Guess I should've had breakfast._ She thought to herself as she wiped her brow. She wanted to spar more, but she had to catch her breath and regain some stamina, or else she would be in trouble. She was angry with herself that her body had betrayed her earlier. Sasuke had nicked her arm with her own Kunai. He caught the Kunai, and threw it right back. While she concealed herself, she watched Naruto and Juro sparring. Naruto was holding back a great deal, and Neji even more. He seemed to be doing well, Juro. She nodded and relaxed a bit, and as she did she lost her footing on the branch and began to fall._ Shit_. She thought as she reached for the branch, but her arms would just not move. _Why... Can't...I...move? _She thought quietly as she contemplated the impact to come.

Juro saw it. He saw the girl falling from the tree in the corner of his eye, he turned around and rushed toward her falling form, almost as if she was plummeting in slow motion. His arms extended, ready to catch the girl. Suddenly a dark flash rushed in front of Juro and caught the girl. Sasuke had seen it too, and due to the Sharingan, he easily beat Neji to the scene.

Tenten gasped as she landed in his arms, her dark eyes closed tightly.

"It's okay, Tenten." Sasuke whispered softly.

Juro sighed, relieved that she was okay, but frustrated Sasuke got to her first. Of course he wouldn't let that show. "Tenten! Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

Naruto looked at Sasuke and smiled. It made his heart happy to see his friend care so deeply for someone, but he could tell Juro wasn't too pleased at the moment.

"Thank you." Tenten whispered as she opened her eyes. "You can put me down now." She assured.

Sasuke slowly lowered the girl to her feet and released his grip on her. As soon as he did, Tenten took a step toward Hinata's direction, but her legs gave out and she began to fall forward, right into her brother's chest.

Juro wrapped his arms around her waist and stood her up. He immediately knew her stamina levels were much lower than regular. It was clear to Naruto and Sasuke as well. "Tenten." He said sweetly. "You need some rest okay?" He gently placed his warm palm atop her wound on her arm and began to heal it.

Tenten looked up at him wide eyed. It was so out of character for him, an for a moment she was quite happy he was her brother. Her surprised gaze turned into a soft smile. "Thanks." She said with a nod. "I just forgot to eat breakfast today, that must've been it. She pushed away from Juro and forced her legs to stand. Slowly she made her way to Hinata.

All three boys stared after her with concern. Neji knew there was more going on, but he couldn't exactly whip out his Byakugan eyes and examine her, so he decided to let it go.

Sasuke wasn't sure what was going through Tenten's mind at the time, but he watched after her hoping everything was okay.

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As the boys continued to spar, Tenten sat next to Hinata and decided to ask how the wedding planning was going, but before she could, Hinata spoke up.

"Are you alright, Tenten?" Hinata asked concerned.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine Hinata!" Tenten faked. she felt like she was moments away from a black out. "So how are wedding preparations coming?" She asked, avoiding any further questions about her own well being.

"Well." Hinata blushed. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that."

"What about it, Hinata?" Tenten asked curiously. Sitting down seemed to help. The urge to black out seemed less and less.

"Well I'd like you to be my maid of honor." Hinata smiled.

Tenten's eyes widened and almost became watery with tears. "What, why me?" She asked.

"Because Sakura has always been mean, and you've always been there for me. You helped Naruto propose. You are my family." She smiled sweetly.

"Oh Hinata." Tenten smiled. "I'd be honored to."

Hinata smiled once more, but her smile faded. "Tenten."

"Yes?"

"I'm scared." Hinata admitted.

Tenten sat up straight and looked at her friend.

"Have you and Sasuke... Uhm... You know..." She said with a bright blush.

Tenten was a bit caught off guard by the question, especially coming from Hinata. "Well..Yes.. We have." She blushed.

"Really?!" Hinata exclaimed almost excitedly.

Tenten only blushed more. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Well... Because my family has strict rules of waiting to.. You know.. till marriage, and Naruto has been really good about it. But the wedding is in 3 months. And I'm scared for when that day comes." she said looking down.

Tenten put an arm around her friend. "I know it can be a bit intimidating. And Sasuke and I may have been a little quick about things. But Naruto will guide you. I promise. It's really not bad at all Hinata, just trust him. And I'm sure when that day comes, you'll desire him as much as he desires you and them the fear won't be there anymore." She said smiling as she assured her friend.

Hinata sighed relieved. "Thank you so much, Tenten." She said happily. Tenten nodded and smiled.

Sortly after this conversation, Juro, Sasuke and Naruto made their way up to the girls, all three rather tired from the continued sparring. Hinata looked up at Naruto. "Have you talked to Sasuke?"

Naruto scratched his head. "Well.. No.."

"Talk to me about what?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"Well.. Sasuke I was kinda wondering if you would be... Y'know... My best man." Naruto asked nervously.

"No." Sasuke answered plainly.

"What?! Why?!" Naruto burst. "Tenten's gonna be Hinata's maid of honor, you get to walk with her you ass hole!"

Sasuke let out a loud and heavy sigh. "Fine, dweeb. But it's no for you, it's for Tenten and Hinata." Sasuke said reluctantly.

"Now you just need to find one more." Hinata smiled.

"Wait who's your other brides maid Hinata?" Tenten asked.

"Well, you know Ino and Sakura stopped talking right? Well Ino is gonna be in it too. Is that okay? She's been really nice lately." Hinata said almost sheepishly.

"Yeah. It's your wedding Hinata! I would be okay even if you wanted Sakura in it. It's your day." Tenten said kindly.

Hinata sighed once more relieved by Tenten's words.

"Hey!" Naruto blurted again. "Why not Juro?! I mean, you are family!"

"What? Are you sure?" Juro replied, completely surprised. He knew it would be easy to be invited, but the last thing he expected was to be asked to be a part of the wedding.

"Yeah! It'll be awesome!" Naruto smiled.

"Well yeah, I would be honored Naruto, Hinata." Juro smiled kindly at the two.

"Great, now we both have our wedding party decided." Naruto said.

"Tomorrow morning we're dress shopping. You three can try on tux's." Hinata said with a twinkling in her eye.


	23. Chapter 23: Sasuke and Juro Clash

**Wow. Wow is all I can say. I'm at over 100 reviews. It's all thanks to you! I am so grateful you all love this story so so much! It makes me so happy! :D you rock! Thank you thank you thank you! That's all I can even say! Long chapter for my lovelies! Thanks sooo much for waiting ;) you're so great.**

_**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO**_

_**Chapter 22~ Sasuke and Juro; clash **_

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Tenten rose extra early that next day, around 4:45 A.M. She sat up in the bed and looked at the sleeping Uchiha by her side. He was so peaceful. His naked chest was rising and falling with each deep breath he took. A soft smile spread across the konoichi's face as she admired him. As she stared at him, she remembered yesterday's events. She had been so weak, and she could hardly rest easy knowing that. So today she was determined to prove herself and everyone else by getting some good training in before dress shopping with Hinata and Ino.

Carefully and slowly, Tenten lifted the comforter off of her body and swung her legs off the side of the bed. Once her bare feet were on the ground, she slowly crept to her dresser and slipped on some black shorts and a red, tight fitting tank. She continually checked over her shoulder, making sure her movements were not wakin the sleeping Uchiha. Sighing silently when she realized he was still sleeping soundly, Tenten made her way down the hall into the kitchen. She was going to make sure she did have breakfast, it could very well have been the cause for her lack of stamina and energy yesterday, although she doubted it.

She knew cooking something was out of the question, seeing as how it could awaken Sasuke, so she settled for water, juice and a protein bar. She grabbed these things, shoved them in a small black backpack and rushed out the door slipping her shoes on as she stepped outside._ Gotta train real hard today, ne? _She thought to herself as she munched on her protein bar and walked toward the training grounds. The sun was barely peaking out of the sky, and the moon was still setting. It was quite early after all, and a slight chill was lingering in the air.

Tenten finally arrived at the training grounds and placed her backpack on the ground next to a tree stump. She took a quick swig of her water and then placed it back in her bag on the ground. After tying her hair up in a high pony tail, she stretched a bit and then began sprinting fast and hard. By lap one she could feel her stamina slowly start to leak, but this only made her run harder, and faster. It angered her to be loosing strength rather than gaining it. It was against team Gai's rules, their very motto was: 'Stronger today than you were yesterday.' It mattered. Strength mattered to Tenten. Tenten knew this should be a piece of cake, this was just running on two feet. If she had been with Gaj or Lee, it might be 500 laps on one foot blind folded or something ridiculous. She needed to prove to herself she was strong. So she continued on.

They were making their rounds, and patrolling the area, Neji and Itachi. Out early due to Neji's new day job as Juro. Neji noticed her as she sprinted. It was not an unusual thing for Tenten, however it was early even for any member of team Gai. It was extremely alarming to him what happened to her yesterday. It made his heart skip a few beats to say the least. He knew today exactly why she was out there. He tuned to Itachi who was also studying the girl.

Itachi was unsure what was going on. He was at a little bit of a crossroads. The woman his partner was desperately in love with, was now in love with his brother. Itachi wouldn't have things any other way, but he didn't like seeing Neji so distracted.

It was at this time that Tenten's legs nearly gave out on her and she stumbled, falling onto one knee, her other leg in front still afoot. She took a deep breath and stood back up. Placing her hands on her thighs, she doubled over, breathing heavily.

"I've gotta see if she's okay." Neji said to his partner, concerned for his former companion.

"Just don't forget who she belongs to now." Itachi warned before disappearing to patrol the surrounding areas.

Neji shook off the warning and leaped down from his perch on the tree and landed on his feet before Tenten.

Tenten was a little startled, but she almost knew someone was watching her the entire time. "What are you doing?" She asked between breaths. She stood up, making sure there were no more signs of weakness evident.

"I could ask you the same thing. You're being reckless." Neji said plainly.

"Reckless?! How am I being reckless?" She asked, a bit annoyed by his overly concerned attitude.

"Tenten, your stamina has dropped significantly, and your face is extremely pale, you could be sick." Neji said as he walked to he.

"I'm fine. " she said brushing off his statement.

"Tenten." He said putting his right hand on her left shoulder.

"Since you're here, I have a few questions for you." She said, once again evading him and his concerns.

Neji knew exactly what she was doing, but decided to let the subject drop. Althougj he was worried about her well being, the old Neji would reprimand her and drag her home, but he was far from that now. He had to respect her wishes, and he would. "Okay, ask me anything." He said. "But can we sit down?"

"No, you can run with me." She said, preparing to spring forward.

"If you want me to talk, you'll sit. I already know what you wanna ask, so just sit with me please?" He plead.

Tenten wasn't sure what to do at this point. She desperately wanted to know how he came back from the dead in the first place, and what he was doing with Tsunade that was so secretive. At the same time, she wanted to continue her training. It had only barely begun.

"Fine." She mumbled as the two went to a small tree stump and sat together. It was so weird to be together and alone again. It made them both a little on edge and nervous.

"So, how the heck did you come back from the dead, and why didn't you tell me?" Tenten blurted.

Neji was slightly taken aback by her statement. What exactly was he getting at? "Well I can't tell you everything Tenten due to confidentiality. But I can tell you that I never really died. I can't tell you why, and I can't tell you the reason I never told you. It's between the Hokage and I." Neji explained.

"It's not that I'm mad..." She mumbled as she looked down at her sandals. "But it just surprised me when you showed up in my life again completely unannounced."

"I know." He said, gently placing a hand on her lower thigh. Realizing what he had done, he quickly yanked his hand away. "I..." He paused. "I really do wish for us to be together. " he admitted. "But I think in all honesty Sasuke is better suited for you."

"Neji." Tenten said, looking up at his masked face. "I love Sasuke. And my questions I had for you were not out of a desire to be with you again. If I'm honest Neji, sometimes I miss you. A lot, but I owe everything to Sasuke. His loyalty to me even when I hated him, is what took my heart. He took care of me even when I openly told him I despised him. And I can't imagine myself with anyone other than him now." Tenten said boldly.

"Well." Neji said, quite shaken by her words. It made him happy that she missed him, but the pain from hearing her say she couldn't picture being with anyone but him drown the happiness. It is true that he wanted her to be happy, but the more he saw them together, the more he wished it was him and not Sasuke. "I'm glad you're happy, Tenten. Take care of yourself and don't push too hard."

Tenten fought the urge to hug Neji, although she couldn't see his face, she could tell he was in pain, and she hated it. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be. It's me who should be sorry. I owe you a lot more explanations and I just can't give them. I'm glad I get to be part of your life in some way. even if it's short term." Neji said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, speaking of that, don't be late. We're meeting everyone at Naruto's around ten." Tenten said, smiling softly.

"See you there, Tenten." He said quietly before disappearing.

Tenten let out a sigh. She didn't imagine things to be this difficult. She loved Neji, but it had faded so much and so fast with Sasuke. She wasn't sure if she should feel guilty for that or not. She shook her head, stood and began running once more.

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After running and training for a few more hours, Tenten returned to her home, dragging her feet each step of the way. Once she was inside she heard the shower running and sighed._ Good, he wasn't worried for me. Must've known I was training_. She thought to herself as she went to her kitchen. Exasperated and exhausted she leaned her elbows on the counter and closed her eyes. As she did, she heard her front door open with a creek._ I could've sworn I locked that behind me. _She thought as her head perked up and she grabbed a near by kitchen knife. Slowly, she made her way out of the kitchen corridor and saw Itachi Uchiha approaching. Tenten sighed in relief when she saw him, for reasons unknown even to her.

"Put the knife down, Tenten." Itachi ordered. Tenten looked quite threatening with a large butcher knife in her hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said with a nervous laugh. she made her way back to the kitchen and placed the knife in the sink. Itachi followed her to the kitchen.

"Do you know why I am here?" He asked.

"No.." Tenten replied nervously as she looked up at him. It was scary how similar he and Sasuke looked. It seemed as though she were looking at an older version of her love.

"I'm here to warn you. Be careful around Neji. He still loves you, and he may try to win you back at some point." Itachi said blanky. "I asked you not to hurt my brother, and I trust you'll keep that promise?"

"Who do you think you are coming in to my house and acting like it would be so easy for me to fall in love with Neji and run into his arms once more?! I love Sasuke more than anyone on this earth, and I don't need to prove that to anyone! I've already made myself clear to Neji, and now I need to do the same for you?!" Tenten snapped. Suddenly her vision became spotty and she wobbled a bit, losing her balance.

Quickly Itachi reached out his arms and pulled the girl to him, stabilizing her. Holding her in a tight embrace with one arm around her waist and one hand behind her head pressing her face to his chest, he began to speak. "I'm sorry, Tenten." He whispered. "I shouldn't have been accusatory."

Tenten's brown eyes were wide with shock. Itachi Uchiha was holding her in his arms and comforting her? This was very unlike the man, a far as she knew anyway. It made her heart beat fast and she felt even more dizzy.

"Sasuke." She whispered before losing consciousness

"What the hell are you doing with Tenten?" Sasuke asked as he stared his brother down with cold and dark eyes. Sasuke was standing in a small puddle as his body dripped excess water, although his waist was wrapped in a towel.

Itachi lifted Tenten into his arms like a bride and turned to face his younger brother. "I came to speak to you." He lied. "But you were in the shower, and I was talking to Tenten and she collapsed."

"Oh shit." Sasuke mumbled as he rushed to Itachi and took Tenten from him. Gently, he carried her to the couch and looked down at her, she seemed to be breathing steadily, and her heart rate wasn't high. it was puzzling, he couldn't figure out just what was wrong.

Itachi rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a clean dish towel and dampened it with cool water. He then brought it to Sasuke who placed it gently on her forehead.

Tentens brown eyes fluttered open and she let out an uncomfortable moan. "What happened?" Tenten asked slowly.

"Itachi said you collapsed." Sasuke said cooly.

Tenten caught a clear glimpse of Sasuke and blushed slightly. "I'm sorry..." She whispered.

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, bending down and placing a soft kiss on her forehead.

Tenten gasped and pushed him away. "We have to meet Naruto and Hinata!"

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They were only about 15 minutes late to Narutos house, and it was alright because Naruto wasn't even awake. Hinata sent Sasuke in to wake him up, which he gladly obliged. Tenten had insisted multiple times that she was just fine, and she literally drug Sasuke to Naruto's house. Sasuke wasn't thrilled with it, but he went along.

"Oy, wake your lay ass up." Sasuke said as he poked the blonde's face.

Naruto waved his hand around his face and moaned. "No Kaka sensei. 10 more minutes alright?" Naruto mumbled.

"Naruto!" Sasuke boomed as he planted a palm violently across Naruto's face.

Naruto responded by jolting out of bed and punching Sasuke hard in the chest. "What the hell was that for Sasuke!? I mean seriously who wakes a guy up like that?!" Naruto shrieked.

Sasuke coughed a bit and glared icily at Naruto. "You're keeping your Fiancé waiting. Ass hole." Sasuke growled.

"Oh shit that's today!" Naruto lept out of bed and began dressing himself.

Outside Juro stared at Tenten, studying her posture and composure. She seemed to be okay, but her colorig was still a bit light. He could hear the bickering inside between Naruto and Sasuke, and he though to himself: _Somethings never change_.

It was at that moment that Ino rushed up to the group panting and holding a bouquet of flowers. Her long blonde hair was down for once and she had on a pair of black dress pants and a nice white blouse. She looked lovely, and certainly caught Juro's attention. "Sorry I'm late, Hinata! I had to help Tsunade out with an errand. These are for you." She said as she handed the flowers to her ebony haired companion. Hinata took the flowers and smied.

"Thank you, Ino. Don't worry about it. Naruto is just waking up." She giggled.

"Oh that figures. Hey who's this?" Ino said turning her gaze to Juro.

"Oh, I'm Tenten's brother, Juro. I'm from the mist." He said kindly as he extended a hand to hers. Ino eagerly took his hand and shook it firmly.

"I'm Ino, nice to meet you." She smiled sweetly.

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"Uh.. Well the color is really pretty." Tenten said nervously as she tried to point something out about the dress that wasn't rude. Hinata had tried on six dresses so far and this one was the worst. They were all very conservative and lacy. Poofy sleeved and high collared. Completely horrible.

Unlike Tenten, Ino had seen enough. "Hinata it's horrible! Is that really what you wanna look like on your big day?" Ino said as she walked onto the platform and turned Hinata to face herself in the mirror.

"We..well...n-no." Hinata said sighing and looking down. "It's just, I know my dad won't like it if I wear something too revealing."

"Hinata." Tenten said, standing up. "This is_ your _day, you should wear a dress you love!"

"Yeah! Tenten's right!" Ino exclaimed.

Hinata raised her head and smiled a wide and glowing smile. "You're right. I actually had my eye on something In the window."

"I'll get it for you!" Ino said giggled.

Moments later, Hinata emerged from the dressing room in a beautiful strapless gown. It was a taffeta sweetheart top that had an a-line waist. The rest of the glen was long and full with clusters of rhinestone flowers all about it. She looked like a princess.

"That's the one!" Ino exclaimed loudly.

"Yes!" Tenten said, eyes wide with amazement.

"I think so too! Thank you both for helping me." Hinata said with a blush. It was the first time Ino and Tenten had seen Hinata so confident. It made then both quite happy.

"Thats our job right?" Ino said placing a hand on her hip.

"Now you need a tiara and you'll be set." Tenten said still staring at the girl who would soon marry her cousin.

"Now it's your turn to turn to try on dresses." Hinata said with a smile. "I actually have them picked out."

"Oh God please tell me they're not as hideous as your first few choices..." Ino asked.

"No no, they aren't I promise. Follow me." Hinata took her companions into the changing room where their dresses were laid out for them. For Ino it was a silver above the knee dress with one sleeve and the other side sleeveless. Tenten's dress was a pastel lavender, sleeveless like Hinatas with a silver rhinestone belt. Both were gorgeous and fit to a T.

Once the girls were done squealing and dancing in celebration, they went downstairs in the bridal shop where the men's department was. Of course they had changed out of their dresses. Narutp was wearing a white tuxedo with a lavender vest as bow tie, standing in the platform staring at himself in the mirror. His face was a bit pale, but you could tell he was excited. Juro stood next to him wearing a black Tux with a silver vest and tie. He seemed to be encouraging Naruto. Sasuke sat slumped on the couch, from what they could see he was at least wearing a suit jacket,but they couldn't really tell from the stairs.

Hinata's jaw dropped at the sight of her future husband. She rushed herself downthe stairs and stood in front of the platform. "Naruto you look amazing."

Naruto blushed and turned to her. "Hinata... I had no idea you were here."

"Hehe... Sorry.. We just got done." Hinata said. At this Juro turned to look at Ino and Tenten who stood on the stairs still. Ino blushed a bit as she saw him. He looked stunning in his tux, but soon after, Sasuke stood and turned to face Tenten. As she caught sight of him, her heart pounded hard in her chest. He wore a black tux with a lavender vest and tie, a white shirt underneath. He looked stunning.

"Tenten." Sasuke blushed.

Tenten looked a bit flush, but she took a step down toward him. Once again those cursed legs gave out on her and she fell toward the floor, lucky for her Ino grabbed ahold of her before she could.

"Hey, you alright?" Ino asked.

Tenten winced in pain. "N..no." She moaned.

"Okay, that's it. We're going to the hospital." Sasuke said as he rushed to aid Ino in holding Tenten up. Quickly he lifted Tenten into his arms and rushed up the stairs and out the door. Several employees yelled at him, telling him he had to pay for his clothing. He didn't care. Tenten was sick and he wasn't gonna listen to her telling him she was fine, it was clear she wasn't. Juro followed after him quickly and they rushed to the hospital.

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"Oh my... Oh my gosh." Neji said as he stood with Sasuke and Tsunade in Tenten's hospital room.

"It's not your business. Why is he still here?" Sasuke asked Tsunade.

Before Tsunade could say anything, Neji spoke again. "You know what you did?!" He yelled. "Do you have the slightest idea?"

"What are you talking about?!" Sasuke barked, narrowing his eyes and staring at Tenten's former love.

"You! You have taken away every dream she ever had! She can't do all the things she aspired to now, thanks to this!" Neji exclaimed.

"This isn't your business, like I said before. But since we're on the subject, it was mutual! We didn't know this would happen, but it did, and you're gonna have to get over it." Sasuke recoiled.

"You don't know her. You don't know anything about her!" Neji yelled, tears threatening to fall from his honey eyes.

"You know what, you little prick. I've spent an awful lot of time picking up pieces that you left behind. That girl has been through hell and back because of you, and you wanna tell me I don't know her?! I think it's you who doesn't know her, and it scares you, doesn't it?" Sasuke said cooly.

"You don't know what I've done for her! You've ruined everything for her!"

"Boys!" Tsunade interjected. "Shut the hell up. She's awake, good job."

Tenten sat up slowly in her bed and stared wide eyed at the men before her. The argument seemed quite intense, any moment she expected the first punch to be thrown. "What happened?" She asked perplexed.

"Tenten." Tsunade said as she approached the girl and stood by her side. "Sasuke brought you here with Neji because they were concerned for your health. They told me your strength has decreased dramatically and that you've blacked out twice in one day. I ran some tests, and.." She paused and looked down at the brunette girl. She was looking up at her mentor, desperately awaiting the answer. "You're pregnant, Tenten."


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